Narcolepsy Forum Posting

Posted by Jen on June 29, 2001 at 09:06:12:

In Reply to: micro-sleep episodes posted by student on June 27, 2001 at 19:54:44:

Whoops, that's a commercial site, but relevant info. It's copied below:

Microsleeps are brief, unintended episodes of loss of attention associated with events such as blank stare, head snapping, prolonged eye closure, etc. which may occur when you are fatigued but are trying to stay awake to perform a monotonous task like driving a car or watching a computer screen.

The most obvious example of a microsleep is an event people often refer to as "nodding off". Microsleeps intrude in the midst of ongoing wakeful activity and typically last between 2 and 30 seconds. It has been found that microsleep episodes are most likely to occur at certain times of day (e.g., pre-dawn hours, mid-afternoon). When a person whose brain waves are monitored by electroencephalogram experiences a microsleep event, a very characteristic person-specific EEG pattern shows up. In many cases, these characteristic EEG microsleep patterns can be detected even before a person shows any clear signs of fatigue. An early detection of microsleeps could prevent many serious accidents.

Microsleeps are common among sleep-deprived people in monotonous situations. Most control room operators, truckers and locomotive engineers experience them at some point, often without being aware of the event, creating potentially dangerous situations. While in a microsleep the person will not see a red signal light or notice that the road has taken a curve.

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