Microsleep

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Microsleep are very brief and uncontrolled sleep episodes where the person suddenly looses attention and is often accompanied with events such as blank stare, head jerk, or elongated eye closure. This happens when a person is too tired and fatigued, and he is still trying to stay awake and alert. This can be during performing a monotonous task like driving, watching computer, etc. These are the most dangerous and life threatening consequences of insomnia.

Microsleep can last from a few seconds to less than two minutes. Person sleeping does not know that Microsleep has occurred.

Traits and Characteristics of Microsleep

The person who is having Microsleep, many times does not know that Microsleep has happened to them. A lot of times, Microsleep happens when person’s eyes are open. The main thing is that when the sleep happens, person cannot respond or process to outside information. So there is no chance of person looking at the red signals or signs of danger. There are many people who are researching about this particular sleep disorder for checking on drowsy driving.

Microsleep generally happens during the hours when the body is programmed to sleep like in late afternoon or initial hours of dawn.  Other trait of this illness is that it is piles up as the sleep debt of the person piles up. So more you are sleep deprived, more you are prone to Microsleep.

According to a research, out of about 1,000 drivers studied, about 450 people admitted that they were micro-sleeping while driving. When Microsleep ends, people often wake with a sharp jerk of the head.

Risk of Microsleep

A head jerk is very dangerous while you are driving. It can swivel the car in wrong direction and fate will tell all. Same goes when you are in a important meeting and you end up Micro-sleeping. You can feel the heat of people staring at you when you jerk your head. Lot many times, the shock of such Microsleep can rush the adrenalin in your body which stops these Microsleep episodes from recurring.