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

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