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

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 • Dec. 4, 2023

Anyone who has ever nodded off briefly while on the subway or watching TV has experienced a microsleep, says Chiara Cirelli, a neuroscientist at the University of Wisconsin who wasn’t involved in the study.

From National Geographic • Nov. 30, 2023

“We don’t know yet if the benefits of microsleep are the same as for long consolidated sleep,” said Paul-Antoine Libourel, a co-author and sleep researcher at the Neuroscience Research Center of Lyon in France.

From Seattle Times • Nov. 30, 2023

“But when humans have a microsleep, we never get to stage three, where you get most of the benefits.”

From Science Magazine • Nov. 29, 2023

Those short snatches of unconsciousness are what researchers call microsleep, a sure sign of sleep deprivation.

From Time Magazine Archive