I read this somewhere else, but here’s a WebMD article pertaining to the same results. The bright displays of monitors, phones, and tablets can keep you awake later at night much like the effect of drinking coffee. It explains the last 20 years of my zombie-like existence really.

Luckily, my brother introduced me to a program that can help.  It’s a free program called F.Lux that alters the screen color temperature to fit the time of day.  Instead of bright whites at night, you’ll get cozy with a softer yellow tone.

The result can be distracting for the first few minutes, but you’ll find the searing pain that your eyes were experiencing will disappear. I know a co-worker of mine that will spend an hour or so altering the background color in office applications and the operating system for just this purpose.

And for my friend Sherri who sometimes experiences this, here’s some proof you’re overworked:

Myokymia [--referencing Wikipedia, I know.. I know..]

“…Myokymia is commonly used to describe an involuntary eyelid muscle contraction, typically involving the lower eyelid or less often the upper eyelid. It occurs in normal individuals and typically starts and disappears spontaneously. However, it can sometimes last up to three weeks. Since the condition typically resolves itself, medical professionals do not consider it to be serious or a cause for concern….”

CAUSES: “Frequent contributing factors include: too much caffeine, high levels of anxiety, fatigue, stress, overwork, overexposure to computer/television monitors, and a lack of sleep. Use of certain drugs or alcohol may also be factors.”