Published on 12, July, 2020
Hi everyone!
I have a dilemma that I'm struggling to understand and wondered if anyone else could relate or provide any advice.
Every night I always get at least 8 hours of sleep, yet I'm still tired each and every day. I am a high masker and find that this exhausts me. I recently got a blood test, which I am awaiting results, as I wondered if my iron is low. However, the more I think about this the more I worry it is just me and the fact that the world is the one causing me to be tired.
If anyone has watched Chris Packham's 'Inside Our Autistic Minds,' I relate exactly to Ethan's video with the heightened senses of sounds. I'm not sure if it is the environment which causes me to burn out, but either way, it is exhausting. BBC Two - Inside Our Autistic Minds, Ethan's Film
Thanks for reading :)
Maddie
Hi Maddie, I'm Alice
I've read that autism can affect how the brain produces melatonin, the chemical that regulates sleep. It's possible that you need slightly more or less sleep depending on your melatonin levels. Personally, I tend to sleep a lot. Even more when I've been over stimulated by, well, life. I can easily sleep most of a day away, and that comes with guilt for not having been productive, yay me! I'm quite good at telling myself that I need what I need and that's just how I function though, and I know very well what the consequences are likely to be if I don't give myself that time to recuperate (hint: bad things happen. Alice loses her *** lol)
It could also be the iron thing.
I hope you figure it out soon
I never knew that! I really need to try and listen to my brain, especially when I'm wiped out from the world. I always feel like I shouldn't be napping or sleeping in till 10 AM but I know my body needs it. I'll try to follow your ways by telling myself I need what I need. Thank you. :)
You're welcome
I find it helpful to remember that there are a thousand things going on in our bodies at any given time and our moods are effected by all of them. We still know so little about how we work. Diet, hormones, drugs (both prescribed and not), mental health, stress, anxiety and everything else you can think of all effect our ability to function, and we can't blame ourselves for the times it seems impossible to face the world - regardless of the reason and whether or not we know it.
As I said, I'm a big fan of sleep lol I'm not a fan of blame or guilt. Forgiveness of ourselves and others is essential for happiness, in my opinion. And I accept that some may think that I'm lazy or without ambition or that I forgive other people too readily or that I'm a doormat or an idealist or a hippie. I've been called many things!
I guess what I want to suggest is that you look for your own balance and don't worry if it doesn't look like any one else's. You're great as you are, enjoy it.