Does Anybody With ASD Need An Afternoon Nap

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Does anyone with ASD need an afternoon nap to recharge?
If you work and have to skip your afternoon nap do you sleep more on the weekend?

I take an afternoon nap on most days that I don't work.

Do you think it's related to ASD?

I barely sleep during the night, never mind the day. I think that's probably more typical of people with ASD than sleeping during the day (protip: proof-by-exmaple is a fallacious argument). I don't really see anything in the diagnostic criteria for ASD that alludes to sleeping during the day.

Oh yes, I have to have a nap every day, if I can. It's partly become habit, but is also needed, and I like doing it too. It's my way of 'meditating', or a relaxation. It doesn't seem to affect my night sleep either.

I could use one, yup.



I'd prefer not to mess up my sleep schedule though, lol. Seems that I take a 20 minute nap mid-day and magically that's equivalent to a whole day's sleep considering I'm wide awake for the rest of the night. Oh well.

I have read in a book once that craving naps in the day can be related to stress and anxiety. I know other people of my age who nap every afternoon, and they both suffer with stress and anxiety issues (not Aspies, but one of them has Fragile-X). So it could be common in people with anxiety.

I'm always busy doing something but I get very sleepy in the afternoons. Like poor-coordination, pale, eyes trying to close on me tired. Not sure if it's an AS thing for me though, Mum says it's because I don't eat enough, which is a fair point.

There's no way I can sleep during the day, unless I'm very ill.
But I do have some 'down time' in the afternoon where I'll lie on the couch and contemplate the ceiling for half an hour or so.
Even robots need a recharge.

That makes sense. Do you find you are more functional after the sun goes down? I find I'm more creative and do my best work at night.

When I was 17 and in Sixth Form at school, meaning that I wasn't in school for every lesson and often had entire afternoons off or a few hours between classes, I frequently had to go home and nap.

I realise now that it was stress-related. I had too much going on and was shutting down.

I am constantly tired, though, even now. I still struggle a lot with energy levels and handling some relatively simple things. I could easily sleep for 12 hours and feel no better for it, needing much longer ideally. I cannot remember ever feeling properly refreshed.

My husband used to urge me to visit the doctor because he was amazed that anyone could need sleep as much as I do. I realise now that it probably is an ASD thing - I'm ready to collapse at 7pm if my daughter's been difficult during the day, or if I've had to do chores and cleaning around the house. On easy days, I can manage much better (though I still wouldn't say no to the chance to lie in until lunch time the next morning. A girl can dream!).

Most people do. That is why in certain countries a 2 hour workday siesta is the norm. For Autistics trying to operate in an NT world is mentally draining so we probably need it more.

Last edited by ASPartOfMe on 27 Sep 2016, 6:19 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Yes, I sometimes feel really tired throughout the day. There have been times when I would take a nap right after I got home from work and sleep for about 3 or 4 hours. Then by the time I would wake up it would almost be time to get ready for bed.

If I don't get much sleep I get more clumsy and can't seem to communicate or function as well.

Can totaly relate this. Can't remember the last I've woken up refreshed or even if I ever have.

Auuuuggggghhhhh!

Stop, you're triggering me ... * yawn *

zzzzzzzzz .....

The power of the yawn