slow to return after opening: gray screen

This started a few months ago. If my computer is closed for more than a few hours (overnight or while I am at work), when I reopen it I will have to wait several minutes before I can do anything.

It starts with a grayed-out screen with some little indicators showing it is doing something (little bars near the center). Then it is fully bright but the mouse won't move. it is looking for the wireless. Then it runs through bluetooth (which I've turned off because it used to search for bluetooth mouse and keyboard and complain it didn't have these--it never has) but it still seems to sit and wait to see if it has bluetooth. Eventually it lets me move the arrow around and give me back control. This can be 2-3 minutes at least. I open up my computer when I wake up, turn on lights, go get cereal and it may still be running through the process when I get back.

Nothing seems to speed it up. It is only a problem if the computer has been closed long enough to sleep so it does this maybe once or twice a day because I spend a lot of time on my computer.

This started at the same time as my other complaint which I've already listed (recently made or downloaded files are not showing up in the finder or the dialogue box for attaching files--unless I search for them by name).