Is it normal for a guy to shut down and go into his 'man cave'?

ADT...man-caving is understood by general common consensus to mean a male withdrawing from social activities with his immediate intimate circle to obsessively work on a project that serves as an outlet for his aggression.

OP, your boyfriend isn't man-caving. He's over-sleeping as a defense mechanism from stress. It's (supposedly) indicative of general depression.

Your cure is to give him a handjob and take him out to a movie he wants to see (but you don't). Then give him a handjob in the theater. His mood will lighten and you'll have leverage (don't lay it on too thick) the next time you want to do something that he doesn't want to do.

I don't know if it is strictly a "guy thing" but many people process emotions in this manner. Compartmentalize (mancave) then detach and move on. It is just one way of dealing and it works for some people. You can try to talk to him about it, but allowing him to be himself may be exactly what he needs to manage the stress. As long as it doesn't effect his health.

Man cave...?

Read this book. Men are from mars, women from Venus by John grey

Not all guys do this and some girls react to stress this way. Everyone has their own way of dealing with it.

If I hear the word mancave one more time I'm gonna scream!! Lol

Sometimes people need to be left alone. Don't you???

I'm a girl and I do the same thing. Though I don't do it only when stressed, but when I'm depressed as well. I pretty much live in my man or 'women' cave.

I'm female and I do this when stressed. I call it my 'duvet day' and turn the phones off and tell my other half to leave me alone and not to waken me for cups of tea or food. I just want to sleep that awful day away and waken to a new one which can be more positive.

When he goes like this, just carry on with your own life, catch up with friends, or paperwork, etc. He won't mind you making good use of your time, he just hasn't the strength or desire to make any use out of his.

It's normal.

He's not taking it out on you. He's just trying to deal with it in a different way than you would. You can't click your fingers and turn him into a woman. Nor would I suspect you'd want to. Don't take it personally.

I do that if I've had a shitty day/week; being stressed like that burns a person out. But I'm not a guy and I don't have a "man cave", I have a bedroom and a comfortable bed.

You're struggling to "understand" him, when he needs some down time to get over it, probably makes it worse for him.

I LIVE in the man cave.

He sounds like an introvert. I know a couple guys who also retreat to the "man cave." That shit bothers the hell out of me but now it just seems "normal."

I myself can pretty much live in my "dark hole for days."
However, if i did this all the time, i think i'd be considered pretty damn selfish for neglecting other people. Yeah, I can feel like shit but other people watching me feel shitty will make everyone feel shitty.

You should let him know how you feel and tell him you feel neglected and maybe both of you guys can work something out. How is your relationship when he's not stressed and wants to retreat?