microsleep

American  

[mahy-kroh-sleep] / ˈmaɪ kroʊˌslip /

noun

Psychology.

1. a moment of sleep followed by disorientation, experienced especially by persons with narcolepsy or those affected by sleep deprivation.

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microsleep British  

/ ˈmaɪkrəʊˌsliːp /

noun

1. a period of sleep which is so momentary as to be imperceptible

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Etymology

Origin of microsleep

First recorded in 1940–45; micro- + sleep

Example Sentences

Each nap – or “microsleep” – lasts only about 4 seconds.

From NewsForKids.net

Non-breeding emperor penguins held in captivity do frequently alternate between waking and short-wave sleep patterns in a state called "drowsiness" that resemble the microsleep patterns observed in chinstrap penguins.

From Salon

“They always seem to be in a microsleep state,” says study co-leader Paul-Antoine Libourel, a research biologist at the Neuroscience Research Center in Lyon, France.

From National Geographic

The other challenge is understanding how microsleep impacts the brains and bodies of the penguins.

From National Geographic

Since chinstraps sleep in slightly longer stretches while diving for food and after they return to land, Libourel says that microsleep may be just a short-term coping strategy for tired moms and dads.

From National Geographic