I think it makes total sense because of the accrued conscious efforts we make to fit in, not disturb other people's routines, etc. It's an intellectual effort, and intellectual work of a certain intensity has been proven to be as tiring as some heavy physical work. The thing is, while nobody would question why someone who carried 500 bags of cement feels tired, it's trickier to explain to most people how monitoring your every move and thought, trying to keep down hypervigilance, hyperacusis or hyper-you-name-it, managing any possible dys- that sometimes comes along with AS, etc. are a full-time job.
I need longer hours of sleep than most people, but I take an eternity to fall asleep because my brain refuses to shut down at night. Not just from the anxiety, sometimes, it's the opposite, I'm enthusiastic about something I learned and my brain starts reviewing and practicing it while I'm desperate to sleep. I'd compare it to a hamster on coke who jumps into its wheel the minute I lay my head on the pillow. So, assuming I do fall asleep... I'll wake up a bunch of times because the slightest noise will awaken me, and that's not a restful sleep. I'm not even getting into the topic of occasional nightmares, but that doesn't help either. I also have the crappiest body temperature management system: I'm perpetually cold (freezing cold), so I need lots of blankets, and socks, and sometimes even mittens to feel something else than the ice cube my limbs are (mittens!!!), but at some point during the night, every night, I'll wake up drenched in sweat because suddenly I'm too hot.
As for the aches, yes, I do get that too, but I will blame it on EDS (cue umpteenth rant by Katleya on do you know that hypermobile EDS and AS can be linked, etc, but I don't think anyone want me to start writing about chronic pain, bruising, bleeding, headaches, low tension, being cold, getting dizzy upon standing up, etc. Besides, I need to put my mittens back on, my hands are some shade of blue again).
I need longer hours of sleep than most people, but I take an eternity to fall asleep because my brain refuses to shut down at night. Not just from the anxiety, sometimes, it's the opposite, I'm enthusiastic about something I learned and my brain starts reviewing and practicing it while I'm desperate to sleep. I'd compare it to a hamster on coke who jumps into its wheel the minute I lay my head on the pillow. So, assuming I do fall asleep... I'll wake up a bunch of times because the slightest noise will awaken me, and that's not a restful sleep. I'm not even getting into the topic of occasional nightmares, but that doesn't help either. I also have the crappiest body temperature management system: I'm perpetually cold (freezing cold), so I need lots of blankets, and socks, and sometimes even mittens to feel something else than the ice cube my limbs are (mittens!!!), but at some point during the night, every night, I'll wake up drenched in sweat because suddenly I'm too hot.
As for the aches, yes, I do get that too, but I will blame it on EDS (cue umpteenth rant by Katleya on do you know that hypermobile EDS and AS can be linked, etc, but I don't think anyone want me to start writing about chronic pain, bruising, bleeding, headaches, low tension, being cold, getting dizzy upon standing up, etc. Besides, I need to put my mittens back on, my hands are some shade of blue again).
