4 ms·

That's way too early in life for signs of cognitive decline. Are you challenging yourself enough? Do you get adequate and deep rest? Are you preoccupied or depr

by Udo 11y ago

That's way too early in life for signs of cognitive decline. Are you challenging yourself enough? Do you get adequate and deep rest? Are you preoccupied or depressed? Are you keeping yourself healthy? I know, these are personal (and maybe somewhat condescending-sounding) questions - but they're just examples for things that can impact your mental performance. Generally, the body's ability to take punishment starts to decline in the thirties which can manifest in mental impairment, but someone who's taking good care of themselves should actually enjoy a pretty well-tuned brain. Biologically speaking there should not be enough damage to justify capability deterioration for a long time to come. All things being equal, I'd say it comes down to the use-it-or-lose it mantra: your brain gets better in areas where it's being used, and atrophies in others where it isn't. Mental competence is not a hallmark of youth. In fact, problem-solving performance in many fields should go up with experience, and only degrade very late in life when things like ischemic attacks, prions, cellular garbage, and the natural neuronal die-off rate all come into play as significant factors.

outworlder 11y ago
> Do you get adequate and deep rest? This is key. I have noticed the same symptoms as the parent. And I can't be blamed by not challenging my brain enough - I am learning Haskell, doing a side project and there's the day job. If I had to measure myself, I'd guess that I'm working at 40% of what I was in my 20's (I'm 34). However, I probably have sleep apnea (I say probably because my doctor asked me to get a bunch of exams and I'm not through with all of them yet, only thing I know for certain is that the blood pressure is higher than it should be). I self medicate with copious amounts of caffeine and yet I'm always feeling sleepy and hazy, as if I were not fully out in the real world. So yeah, the other poster likely has some underlying health condition. Which could be as simple as not getting enough sleep. I can't function at all with less than 8 hours, while I could in my youth.
- marcosdumay 11y ago
  > I self medicate with copious amounts of caffeine and yet I'm always feeling sleepy and hazy, as if I were not fully out in the real world. Have you tried stopping? I mean, too much caffeine makes me sleepy too (not over the same say, but after a while).
- araes 11y ago
  Hmm, sounds familiar. Any also true? Adult acne? Itchy ears? Intermittent neck cramps? Progressive hair loss? Sleep better with a fan blowing over you? Acid reflux? If so, possibly try getting into a tub, drawing a moderate layer of water, and then performing breathing exercises into the water. In/out with force. Nose/nose, Mouth/mouth, Nose/mouth, yatta. Note: I did not relish the outcome, ymmv. Repeat after: twisting torso, xing/unxing arms, alternating closed nostrils, plugging nostrils and pressurizing breathing tract + ears, vigorous activity (jogging) Also, if the hair one is true, regularly brush your hair w/ a soft end comb. (I almost guarantee loss will stop) Also, if the adult acne is true, try the opposite of common sense, and apply a thick skin cream (Aveno's decent) or a gellified salt like deodorant if it's not sensitive skin. Make sure to apply well to areas near openings to ears/nose/mouth/eyes. (You should do this anyhow as it slows your apparent age) Also, if reflux, try high acidic/bitter/basic/spicy/salty foods and see whether they trigger/solve reflux and whether you sleep better/worse. Also, possibly try sleeping fully enclosed within a sheet. Not a doctor, your own risk, other standard medical disclaimers by non-pro.
madaxe_again 11y ago
Oh, my overall cognition is fine, as far as I can internally assess, and no, I get nowhere near as much sleep as I should, which probably accounts for more than I grant. As to challenge - plenty of it. It's really rather more associative fuckups, as someone else in the thread describes - even if I have the right word in my head, my hands may type something utterly different, which usually starts with the same letter and relates to what I was after, but differs. As to memorisation - I'm talking having gone from being able to indefinitely retain 20+ digit strings on first sight to maybe half that, and often finding I've switched a digit. As you say, sleep is probably a major component in this, and I can't recall sleeping more than a few consecutive hours in years - usually manage six hours of restless sleep before throwing the towel in and getting back to doing whatever it was I was doing when I nodded off. Can't bear to spend time just lying there. There's too much to do.

by Udo 11y ago

outworlder 11y ago

> Do you get adequate and deep rest? This is key. I have noticed the same symptoms as the parent. And I can't be blamed by not challenging my brain enough - I am learning Haskell, doing a side project and there's the day job. If I had to measure myself, I'd guess that I'm working at 40% of what I was in my 20's (I'm 34). However, I probably have sleep apnea (I say probably because my doctor asked me to get a bunch of exams and I'm not through with all of them yet, only thing I know for certain is that the blood pressure is higher than it should be). I self medicate with copious amounts of caffeine and yet I'm always feeling sleepy and hazy, as if I were not fully out in the real world. So yeah, the other poster likely has some underlying health condition. Which could be as simple as not getting enough sleep. I can't function at all with less than 8 hours, while I could in my youth.

marcosdumay 11y ago
> I self medicate with copious amounts of caffeine and yet I'm always feeling sleepy and hazy, as if I were not fully out in the real world. Have you tried stopping? I mean, too much caffeine makes me sleepy too (not over the same say, but after a while).
araes 11y ago
Hmm, sounds familiar. Any also true? Adult acne? Itchy ears? Intermittent neck cramps? Progressive hair loss? Sleep better with a fan blowing over you? Acid reflux? If so, possibly try getting into a tub, drawing a moderate layer of water, and then performing breathing exercises into the water. In/out with force. Nose/nose, Mouth/mouth, Nose/mouth, yatta. Note: I did not relish the outcome, ymmv. Repeat after: twisting torso, xing/unxing arms, alternating closed nostrils, plugging nostrils and pressurizing breathing tract + ears, vigorous activity (jogging) Also, if the hair one is true, regularly brush your hair w/ a soft end comb. (I almost guarantee loss will stop) Also, if the adult acne is true, try the opposite of common sense, and apply a thick skin cream (Aveno's decent) or a gellified salt like deodorant if it's not sensitive skin. Make sure to apply well to areas near openings to ears/nose/mouth/eyes. (You should do this anyhow as it slows your apparent age) Also, if reflux, try high acidic/bitter/basic/spicy/salty foods and see whether they trigger/solve reflux and whether you sleep better/worse. Also, possibly try sleeping fully enclosed within a sheet. Not a doctor, your own risk, other standard medical disclaimers by non-pro.

madaxe_again 11y ago

Oh, my overall cognition is fine, as far as I can internally assess, and no, I get nowhere near as much sleep as I should, which probably accounts for more than I grant. As to challenge - plenty of it. It's really rather more associative fuckups, as someone else in the thread describes - even if I have the right word in my head, my hands may type something utterly different, which usually starts with the same letter and relates to what I was after, but differs. As to memorisation - I'm talking having gone from being able to indefinitely retain 20+ digit strings on first sight to maybe half that, and often finding I've switched a digit. As you say, sleep is probably a major component in this, and I can't recall sleeping more than a few consecutive hours in years - usually manage six hours of restless sleep before throwing the towel in and getting back to doing whatever it was I was doing when I nodded off. Can't bear to spend time just lying there. There's too much to do.