Customized Sleep System - Microsleep, “Critical” Sleep!

Have you ever realized you missed a green red light or woke up because your head suddenly jerked? You may have just experienced what sleep scientists call Microsleep.

Microsleep is a short burst of sleep that usually happens without people even realizing it. It can be experienced by anyone who is tired, especially those with sleep disorders or sleep deprivation such as night shifts, insomnia or sleep apnea.

Sleep deprivation and its microsleep can increase workplace errors and car accidents. Many disasters have been caused by microsleep, such as the Chernobyl nuclear disaster and Challenger explosion in 1986, the Exxon Valdez oil spill in 1989, and many air crashes.

What is microsleep?

Microsleep is a brief, unconscious loss of attention usually associated with empty eyes, sleepy staring and prolonged eyelid fighting. It occurs when a person feels fatigued but tries to stay awake doing something monotonous, such as driving a car or looking at a computer screen. These can be one of the consequences of the dangers of insomnia.

Microsleep episodes last anywhere from a fraction of a second to two minutes, and sufferers are usually unaware that microsleep is occurring. In fact, microsleeps often occur when a person opens his or her eyes. During a microsleep, a person is unable to respond to external information. A person can't see a red light or notice that the road is curved, which is why this phenomenon is of particular interest to those who study drowsy driving. Similarly, in a microsleep, a pilot may not be aware of flashing warning lights in the cockpit.

When does microsleep occur?

It is possible for microsleep to occur at specific times of the day when the body enters a sleep program, such as pre-dawn and around 3pm.

As sleep debt builds up, periods of microsleep become more common. In other words, the less sleep a person gets, the more likely they are to microsleep.

Technically, everyone experiences microsleeps at the onset of sleep, as Dr. W. Christopher Winter, M.D., explains as follows:Sleep scientists define onset of sleep as the first 15 seconds of sleep within a 30-second period. In other words, before an incandescent light bulb burns, it doesn't suddenly go out, it goes out several times.

What causes microsleep?

Microsleeps can happen to anyone, but the individuals at risk are those who are sleep deprived or chronically monotonous, such as driving or repetitive work.

Individuals with sleep disorders that cause insomnia, such as insomnia or sleep apnea, are also at risk. In fact, microsleep episodes may help diagnose sleep disorders, such as sleep apnea, that the individual may not realize as it falls asleep.

-People with sleep apnea may get enough sleep, but the poor quality of sleep due to apnea can lead to chronic sleep deprivation. According to the American Sleep Apnea Society data on obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) drivers are two to four times more likely to be involved in a car accident than normal people. The chart below shows the link between sleep apnea and the increased risk of teen driving sleepiness.

-Extreme daytime sleepiness is a recognized symptom of insomnia, and patients often experience microsleep during extreme daytime sleepiness.

-Microsomnia is one of the symptoms of narcolepsy, although microsomnia is not to be confused with intrusive sleepiness (sleep attack). The disorder is spontaneous and lasts much longer than microsleep, and it doesn't go away even if people get enough sleep.

What happens when the brain sleeps?

While it's not entirely clear what happens to the brain during microsleep, several studies have shown that certain parts of the brain seem to be effective at falling asleep while other parts stay awake. This could explain the loss of selective consciousness, but people don't feel asleep.

A study published in the journal NeuroImaging in 2015 (NeuroI ** ge) kept volunteers awake for 22 hours and placed them in the dark fMRI in a machine to monitor their brain waves. During microsleep stages, activity in the thalamus (the part of the brain responsible for regulating sleep) decreased, while activity in the brain responsible for sensory processing and attention (activities associated with the waking state) increased.

In a 2011 study, rats were forced to stay awake for long periods of time and enter a state of sleep deprivation. Although EEGs measured the brain's overall wakefulness and the rats' physical appearance while awake, they began to show localized sleep in groups of neurons that affect the motor cortex. Sleep deprivation affects the rats' ability to perform complex motor tasks, such as grasping a sugar tray with their paws, which may explain simple human errors such as losing a key or realizing a red light has turned green.

Some of the challenges with microsleep episodes are that researchers have not yet developed a recognized clinical diagnostic tool for microsleep.

EEG recordings are commonly used in sleep studies and are more effective in sleep and non-sleep state studies. Microsleep causes much more subtle brain changes characterized by certain areas of the brain going to sleep while other areas remain awake.

Fatigued Driving and Microsleep

According to the American Automobile Association, 16.5 percent of fatal car accidents are caused by dozing off while driving. Sleep deprivation reduces a driver's reflexes, alertness, and judgment, similar to the impairment caused by alcohol or drug use. In fact, studies have shown that driving under the influence of alcohol is just as dangerous as driving while fatigued.

Queensland University (QUT) According to a 2012 study, more problematic is the fact that when people have microsleeps due to sleep deprivation, they continue to drive instead of pulling over and sleeping.

Microsleeps are positively correlated with the risk of accidents - the more microsleeps there are and the longer they last, the higher the risk of accidents. Using a driving simulator, the researchers showed that when people stayed up all night and continued to drive, the resulting increase in the number and duration of microsleep episodes and crashes.

What does this mean for night shift workers?

Unfortunately, night shift workers are more likely to crash on their way home from work than when they are completely rested. a 2015 study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences after a study showed that 37.5% of people who worked the night shift almost crashed their cars, compared to 0% of those who had a full night's sleep the night before.
 

Do you experience microsleep episodes? Consider the following warning signs:

You feel sleepy.

You can't keep your eyes open.

Your eyelids start fighting, you have a vacant expression, or you blink.

You have a hard time focusing on where you want to go or what you're doing.

You yawn a lot.

You wander off.

You feel moody or irritable.

If you drive, you drift out of your lane or have trouble staying in your lane. You miss exits.

Your head nods gently and you wake up suddenly Because the brain doesn't see short periods of sleep as sleep, people don't usually realize they're experiencing microsleeps.

How can I prevent microsleeps?

If you start to notice the microsleep warning signs described above, try to get some sleep if you're in that situation (if you're driving, take a break, if you're working, stop the heavy machinery).

In better cases, microsleep can affect your concentration, causing you to miss an exit while driving, fail to hear a key part of a teacher's lecture in class, or be caught off guard while attending an important meeting at work. In severe cases, it can lead to a car accident or jeopardize your academic or professional performance.

Here are tips for preventing microsleeps on the road, in the classroom, or in the workplace.

Preventing Microsleeps While Driving

1. avoid driving when you feel less than alert

Don't hit the road when your biological clock wants you to sleep, or when you're sleepy in the afternoon. Especially in the morning night owls and early bird evenings are when these people get sleepy. Don't suddenly fight long-established circadian rhythms once the stakes on the road have risen dramatically. Your will is fragile before bedtime.

2. Ensure adequate sleep before a long trip

Don't drive when you're sleepy, take a 20-minute nap when you're resting. Stop at the side, put the car in park gear, pull the handbrake and turn off the engine. Some U.S. states prohibit drivers from sleeping with the ignition on.

3. Don't go on the road alone

Passengers traveling with you will help you stay awake and alert during conversations. They can also watch you for signs of sleep deprivation and stop driving with you. But please pay special attention to this: if you bring a snoring man into the car, stop immediately; the atmosphere will make you doze off more easily than if you were driving.

4. Concentrate

Listen to some happy music or a fun podcast or radio show to help you stay focused. There are many apps designed to help you sleep, as well as anti-sleep apps that make noise or vibrate to help you stay alert. Be careful not to get distracted by looking at your phone.

To prevent microsleep in class or at work

1. Stay alert by interacting with others

Ask and answer questions in class. At work, have productive conversations with coworkers or respond to emails.

2. stay physically active if possible.

Spin a pencil or pen and fidget quietly. Stretch in your chair. Even a standing desk is a good option.

3. rest.

Get up when you can walk around the classroom or go for a walk between classes to get some sun and fresh air. Go to the water fountain or take a walk around the office or parking lot. According to the customized sleep system, customize your own personal mattress, so you can rest as well as you can!