My wife has always remarked that I have this habbit of taking a major nap right after a transition. It used to be that whenever we would make the drive to her parents house, I would then take some major naps over the next day or so. After 15 years of marriage, I don't do that as much any more.
After the last Sojourn concert, I took a nap, and then was in bed by 7 or 8pm.
I believe that it is part of the Aspie thought process, the way our minds work. Several things may be happening.
1. Is the sensory integration disorder part of Asperger. Because major changes bring in numerous changes in my paridgm, then I need extra brain power to integrate all the new data points into my paridgm or grid of life.
2. Also, sense Aspies think in images (pictures), then perhaps the Aspie brain is building new maps or re mapping the week ahead based on what has changed.
Better to shut down cognitive systems (i.e. go to sleep), and let the subcognitive do its background work.
Many Aspies may not be able to tell you how they feel about certain changes. I do feel a certain sense of loss over quiting Sojourn. Just as much I feel a sense of confusion. Sojourn is part of the fabric of who I am. It is a primary key in my relational database. It requires a major restructuring of what I believe about who I am.
So, while I sleep, a part of my brain is re-building data structures so that I can live a predicatable and well ordered life. In this case it will take a while.
I bet that's not how the neuro-typical world handles change.
Adam
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Online pictures take up a lot of memory... so perhaps the same is true with Aspies, in a way. In other words, thinking in pictures could take more brain power than the way NT people think, therefore it would be more tiring.
ReplyDeleteI, too am overly tired after events that NT people find invigorating. Many of the people in the forums I'm a part of also say this.
I can see what you are saying. No pun intended. When I am in a new situation such as a new job, I am exhausted for a while, because my brain starts building a 3D model of my environment.
ReplyDeleteIt certainly does suck down plenty of brain bandwidth. It's just like in computers, there is only so much capacity.
Adam