Microsleep Dangers to Health

Often when we are doing activities such as driving, staring at a computer screen or watching TV we feel sleepy and fall asleep in a split second. This is referred to as microsleep. What is microsleep?

Microsleep is an episode of loss of consciousness or attention that lasts about a fraction of a second or 30 seconds. This usually appears when a person feels sleepy, so they fall asleep suddenly in a short time.

Often in microsleep, the brain switches rapidly between sleep and wakefulness.

Microsleep can occur when a person is doing monotonous activities such as staring at a TV or computer screen, driving, reading a book, etc. for a long time.

A person will not realize when experiencing microsleep or will enter a sleep state. After experiencing microsleep, usually a person will wake up in a fresher condition in a short time.

Signs & Causes of microsleep

What are the signs of microsleep?

- Suddenly startled and awakened by jolts of body and head

- Not realizing what has just happened

- Frequent yawning

- Eyelids feel very heavy to open

- Frequent blinking

- If microsleep occurs while driving, the direction of the car/motorcycle goes off track without realizing it

- Can't remember what happened 1-2 minutes ago

- Dropped the item you're holding

- Lost focus

What are the causes of microsleep?

- Lack of sleep

time Normally adults sleep for 6-8 hours. If sleep time is insufficient, a person will still feel sleepy and experience microsleep from time to time.

- Lack of quality sleep Poor quality

sleep will cause the body to be dissatisfied with rest, there is a feeling of tiredness even though you have slept. This will put a person at risk of falling asleep suddenly

- Risk factors for disease, such as diabetes, high blood pressure

- Obesity

- Depression or anxiety disorders

- Use of drugs or alcohol

The dangers of microsleep?

If microsleep occurs when someone is driving, of course it will be a safety hazard. Microsleep can cause a driver to have an accident due to loss of consciousness while driving a vehicle. Of course, a large loss in an accident can be in the form of financial up to the loss of human life.

How to prevent microsleep?

1. Adequate and quality sleep. The recommended bedtime is 7-9 hours

2. Drink coffee before driving 30 minutes before.

3. Move over the vehicle and take a short break if you feel sleepy while driving

4. If you are afraid of feeling sleepy while driving, you should not drive alone, so that you have someone to talk to while on the road.

Since microsleep is linked to sleep deprivation and sleepiness, the main prevention is getting enough quality sleep. If you have difficulty getting enough sleep, please consult a doctor so that appropriate therapy can be given.