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.

---

microsleep British  

/ ˈmaɪkrəʊˌsliːp /

noun

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

---

Etymology

Origin of microsleep

First recorded in 1940–45; micro- + sleep

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

microsleep

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

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 ● 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

Lee and colleagues argue that microsleep may offer chinstraps some of the benefits of longer rests, such as recovery time for synapses and removing toxic waste products in the brain.

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