You probably already know that for optimum health you need 7-8 hours of sleep every night. Furthermore, you may already be aware of the fact that brief afternoon naps aid in keeping you fresh and increasing productivity. But are you aware of something known as microsleep? This is a grave sign of something more severe.
WHAT IS MICROSLEEP?
Microsleep is a brief period in which an individual loses consciousness and goes into a sleep-like state without warning. It usually lasts from between a fraction of a second to thirty seconds or more.
Signs and that someone is having microsleep include:
• Slow, frequent blinking
• Blank stare
• Dropping the head and jerking it back up again
• Not able to recall the last minute
• A sudden jerk of the body
THE CAUSES
Microsleep is caused by sleepiness mostly combined with repetitive, monotonous tasks such as watching TV or driving. The sleepier you feel, the more you are likely to experience it.
Microsleep indicates sleep deprivation as a result of a sleep disorder like sleep apnea. As a person suffering from sleep apnea, even when you get enough hours of sleep, you lack quality sleep that leads to a state of chronic deprivation. This is because sleep apnea is a condition in which the airways collapse thus blocking the supply of oxygen for short periods of time throughout the night. This causes interrupted and incomplete sleep which leads to microsleep.
THE EFFECTS
Microsleep can last for under a minute, but the consequences are fatal. The most significant dangers are when operating heavy machinery or driving since driving involves the safety of other drivers and pedestrians.
MANAGEMENT OF MICROSLEEP
When you notice that you have been microsleeping, then its time you visit a sleep specialist. The doctor will conduct a sleep study to reveal your sleep patterns and also perform other tests to identify if you have been microsleeping. If your microsleeping is as a result of sleep apnea, you will be given treatment options including the use of CPAP device.
It is possible to treat microsleeping using a CPAP machine. ApneaSeal is a company that makes custom 3D fitted masks for sleep apnea machines. Contact us today for more information or to schedule an appointment and finally enjoy some quality sleep.