[dba-Tech] applications don't like being open

I'm finding that applications that I leave open and unused for several hours get cranky -- most of the time I just have to close them down and reopen because they freeze up or they react so slow that I can't work. 

This seems to happen mostly with Word, IE, and Firefox -- but then, those are the apps I have open and leave open all day. It might happen with others, but since I don't leave them open, I'm just not experiencing it. 

What's the problem? 

Susan H.