Ryginar
Tufted Titmouse
Joined: Apr 08, 2012
Posts: 41
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 Posted: Tue May 22, 2012 9:01 am Post subject: Staying up very late after excessive computer use? |
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I apologize if this isn't in the right place. I'm really tired and it's hard to focus.
Anyways, during my free time I like to spend my time on social networking sites, and media ones too. But for some reason, it has a tendency to trigger things from the past and make me very anxious. Usually I'll stay up until about 10 or 11 doing stuff on there, but when I go to bed my head has a tendency of speeding off and thinking of very wild and obsessive things. Otherwise, this doesn't happen to me when I don't use it.
Now I don't think it's OCD, although I have the tendency of getting wild and obsessive thoughts during the day after I was sleep deprived, but otherwise I exhibit no other symptoms.
So what I'm wondering is: Can too much sensory overload on the computer cause sleep problems, along with major anxiety, and obsessive thinking?
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Ryginar
Tufted Titmouse
Joined: Apr 08, 2012
Posts: 41
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| Posted: Tue May 22, 2012 9:04 am Post subject: |
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Also, I'm on the medications celexa and risperdal. Relatively low doses, but still: Could those factor in?
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MathGirl
admitted workaholic
Joined: Apr 12, 2009
Age: 22
Posts: 2784
Location: Ontario, Canada
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| Posted: Tue May 22, 2012 11:57 am Post subject: |
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Yeah, I have insomnia due to computer use. I really want to stay away from computer-related jobs, but due to the economic crisis, it looks like I pretty much have to take any job I can get. It sucks. I take sleep medication sometimes for this, but that is only short-term, too. I just try to cut down my computer use as much as possible.
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CanisMajor
Toucan
Joined: Feb 27, 2012
Age: 24
Posts: 271
Location: Miami Beach
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| Posted: Tue May 22, 2012 1:00 pm Post subject: |
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| That happens to me, too. It's especially a problem if I've been playing games on the computer for a while, because then it's like I'm still playing through them in my head while I'm trying to sleep. Oddly enough, one of the things that helps me fall asleep (after trying and failing- that first futile step is key), is to find something to read on my phone. Not sure why it works. Maybe it gets my head onto a different topic for a little, to distract it, so to speak. Maybe it just helps tire my eyes/brain out a bit. Maybe it's just placebo effect. Who knows. But I do know what you're talking about. It's really annoying, especially since almost everything can be found on the web these days (making it SO IRRESISTIBLE!) |
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League_Girl
Proud mamma
Joined: Feb 05, 2010
Posts: 13492
Location: My house
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| Posted: Tue May 22, 2012 1:17 pm Post subject: |
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Yes and I always figured it was OCD because my thoughts keep me up and I can't get off the computer because of what I am reading on it. I end up staying up until 3 or 4 in the morning.
That is why I try and not get involved in internet drama anymore because then I can't stop thinking about it all day at work and at home and when I am going to sleep and it's too stressful. I was in one major one two years ago and it was very hard and took me over a year to get over it. It was the worst one ever.
I also thinking my obsessive thinking gives me sleeping problems. I have had sleeping problems my whole life off and on. I slept better when I was on medicine. I have used sleeping aids when I had a hard time sleeping when I did work nights and during the day but now that I work evenings, I don't care for sleep anymore because I can sleep in and my son sleeps till noon. I would like to go to bed earlier but my mind keeps me up. |
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Budfarmer
Blue Jay
Joined: May 01, 2012
Posts: 78
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| Posted: Tue May 22, 2012 1:33 pm Post subject: |
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| CanisMajor wrote: | | That happens to me, too. It's especially a problem if I've been playing games on the computer for a while, because then it's like I'm still playing through them in my head while I'm trying to sleep. Oddly enough, one of the things that helps me fall asleep (after trying and failing- that first futile step is key), is to find something to read on my phone. Not sure why it works. Maybe it gets my head onto a different topic for a little, to distract it, so to speak. Maybe it just helps tire my eyes/brain out a bit. Maybe it's just placebo effect. Who knows. But I do know what you're talking about. It's really annoying, especially since almost everything can be found on the web these days (making it SO IRRESISTIBLE!) |
If it makes you feel any better, that's exactly the same with me. I keep books on my phone so that I always have something to read for distraction. And reading at night works to put me to sleep. Sometimes it might take 30-45 minutes or more and sometimes it's almost immediate, but it almost always works.
Another thing I found that works for me is I have a small indoor garden. After I turn off the computer, I go sit and stare at my plants in my little garden, judging how much one has grown, or see if another has started budding, trimming dead leaves off the bottom, pruning, examining, studying the structure of the plants...different variants within a species of plant can often have different stem and branch structures. Just running my eyes around the garden, taking in each individual plant, then each leaf, really calms my head and drains all the internet and social stuff away into boxes for later.
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Ryginar
Tufted Titmouse
Joined: Apr 08, 2012
Posts: 41
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| Posted: Wed May 23, 2012 12:19 pm Post subject: |
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Yeah, so I cut down on my PC use at night, and it made a huge difference.
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Callista
Phoenix
Joined: Feb 04, 2006
Age: 30
Posts: 9818
Location: Central USA
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| Posted: Wed May 23, 2012 12:21 pm Post subject: |
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It's difficult to switch away from something, and computers are uniquely difficult because of how many possibilities they present to you and how hard it is to come to a natural conclusion when you're working on one.
I'm trying to find a way to get a computer to lock me out for five minutes at a time, on a schedule. Not a parental-override kind of program because if that were the case I'd just put in the password and go on using the computer--just something to lock me out for long enough to be able to switch away. Haven't been able to find that, though.
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TTRSage
Deinonychus
Joined: Aug 31, 2010
Posts: 360
Location: Atlanta, GA, alone in my Aspie cubbyhole
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| Posted: Wed May 23, 2012 2:34 pm Post subject: |
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I noticed a year or so ago that late hours at the computer would keep me from sleeping. So now I force myself away from the computer about midnight and try to just relax before my 1:30 AM bedtime.
I've also been trying exercise in an attempt to fatigue myself and help promote sleep. Over the past year I've been walking more and more as I used to do back in my teen days (I am 61 now). As an extension of this and in an effort to escape intimidation where I live, I started going over to a nearby college campus at night and walking across campus and back (as much as a two mile quick paced walk) in an effort to exhaust myself. But I found that I had even worse sleep problems at times. I think that all the late night activity was the culprit. I haven't felt like walking for the past two weeks due to a head cold but hope to take my late night walk tonight... I'll bet I won't be able to sleep. |
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Ravenclawgurl
Phoenix
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TTRSage
Deinonychus
Joined: Aug 31, 2010
Posts: 360
Location: Atlanta, GA, alone in my Aspie cubbyhole
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| Posted: Wed May 23, 2012 10:59 pm Post subject: |
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Not to mention the brain activity that it promotes.
A year ago I tried melatonin (among other meds such as valerian, benadryl and Ambien) but will never go back to that again. It really whacked my body big time. Fatigue and relaxation is a much better approach.
The red/orange vs blue/green light thing is true too... so much for compact fluorescents which put out green light and LEDs which are heavy on the blue end of the spectrum... it seems that the government is mandating insomnia. |
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Bloodheart
Grisha's Gal
Joined: Jan 18, 2011
Age: 30
Posts: 2167
Location: Newcastle, England.
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| Posted: Thu May 24, 2012 12:00 am Post subject: Re: Staying up very late after excessive computer use? |
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It's currently 5am...nuff said. 
I go between a few different web sites and get caught-up with doing various different things - there are so many things to do, so many people to interact with, but then even when everything seems quiet on the sites I visit I'll go between them to find something to do, and I go on social networking sites which has the potential to trigger off anxiety issues for me too. If I'm not getting caught-up hyper-focusing on something online then I'm getting into a weird anxious freak-out that can have my brain racing once I do go to bed. There is just no turn-off switch for me, even if I'm physically tired my body just doesn't tell me when I'm tired as I'm too focused on something else.
All of which can contribute to sleeping problems...on top of all my other sleeping problems.
I've yet to find a solution to this.
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Good-looking girls break hearts, and goodhearted girls mend them. |
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Budfarmer
Blue Jay
Joined: May 01, 2012
Posts: 78
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| Posted: Thu May 24, 2012 9:09 am Post subject: |
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| TTRSage wrote: |
The red/orange vs blue/green light thing is true too... so much for compact fluorescents which put out green light and LEDs which are heavy on the blue end of the spectrum... it seems that the government is mandating insomnia. |
I've very curious about this... which color lights promote sleep?
You can buy CFL's in a wide array of colors. The "warm" lights are 2700k (red/orange) and the "daylights" are usually either 5000k or 6500k (blue/green). There are also some full spectrum CFL's available which have both the red and the blue spectrum lightsl.
The reason why I am curious is because I mentioned that I stare at my indoor garden to relax me. The light in there is 2100k or very red, which promotes maturty and flowering in the plants. The bluer lights promote vegetative growth in the plants. I have blue spectrum lights in another area in the back but I can't go stare at those because it would wake up my hubby. I'm just wondering now if part of the therapeutic response is coming from the color of the lights...
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Budfarmer
Blue Jay
Joined: May 01, 2012
Posts: 78
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| Posted: Thu May 24, 2012 9:12 am Post subject: |
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| TTRSage wrote: |
The red/orange vs blue/green light thing is true too... so much for compact fluorescents which put out green light and LEDs which are heavy on the blue end of the spectrum... it seems that the government is mandating insomnia. |
I've very curious about this... which color lights promote sleep?
You can buy CFL's in a wide array of colors. The "warm" lights are 2700k (red/orange) and the "daylights" are usually either 5000k or 6500k (blue/green). There are also some full spectrum CFL's available which have both the red and the blue spectrum lightsl.
The reason why I am curious is because I mentioned that I stare at my indoor garden to relax me. The light in there is 2100k or very red, which promotes maturty and flowering in the plants. The bluer lights promote vegetative growth in the plants. I have blue spectrum lights in another area in the back but I can't go stare at those because it would wake up my hubby. I'm just wondering now if part of the therapeutic response is coming from the color of the lights...
_________________
I can explain it to you, but I cannot understand it for you.
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AS quotient: Scored 42
Your Aspie score: 175 of 200
Your neurotypical (non-autistic) score: 30 of 200
You are very likely an Aspie |
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TTRSage
Deinonychus
Joined: Aug 31, 2010
Posts: 360
Location: Atlanta, GA, alone in my Aspie cubbyhole
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| Posted: Sun Jun 03, 2012 5:08 pm Post subject: |
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| Budfarmer wrote: |
I've very curious about this... which color lights promote sleep? |
Darkness promotes sleep. I keep an aluminized camping blanket over my BR sliding door to keep light out since it is nearly opaque. Look up "melatonin" on Wikipedia to find the info on the effect of light color on melatonin depletion. |
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