WHY AM I SO TIRED?

You got through the day. So why does it feel like the day got through you?

For many autistic adults, exhaustion isn't explained by how much they did. A meeting ends, an errand gets done, a conversation goes well-and the cost shows up later. By the time there's finally a chance to rest, another demand is already waiting.

Why Am I So Tired? is a practical guide to understanding overwhelm, recovery and the hidden demands that can make everyday life far more exhausting than it appears.

At the center of the book is a simple question:

When were you supposed to recover?

Amanda Cortés introduces the Recovery Gap, a practical framework for recognizing what happens when the next demand arrives before you've had enough time to recover from the last one. Instead of measuring your capacity by what you managed to accomplish, you'll learn to pay attention to what those demands actually cost you-and what genuinely helps you come back.

Inside, you'll explore how to:

• Recognize different kinds of tiredness and overload
• Identify sensory, social, emotional and executive demands that often go uncounted
• Understand why masking and simply being available can be exhausting
• Recognize delayed crashes and cumulative demand
• Distinguish rest from actual recovery
• Understand why enjoyable experiences can still have a cost
• Build recovery into your life before you reach the point of collapse
• Plan around capacity, not just available hours
• Reduce unnecessary friction when demands can't simply be removed
• Create a more sustainable way of living without turning recovery into another thing to get right

This isn't a productivity book, and it isn't a promise that the right routine will make you endlessly energetic. It's about understanding your patterns, recognizing your needs and making more informed choices about where your energy goes.

Because maybe the question isn't why you're so tired.

Maybe it's when you were supposed to recover.