A 16-year-old boy from Delhi would often fall asleep in class. He would feel lethargic the whole day and his friends would see him take short naps at the oddest of times—while eating, sitting and even while talking to them. However, the boy himself wasn’t aware of his condition.
He was diagnosed with Mircosleep. Microsleep is when a person falls asleep for a period of several seconds in the middle of something. As the name implies, it occurs so quickly that persons who have an episode might not even realise they have fallen asleep.
It can occur at any time of day and not just at night. “This unpredictability and suddenness of the problem makes the condition hazardous, especially if one’s occupation demands high level of alertness,” says Vivek Singh, director of pulmonology and transplant pulmonology, Medanta Hospital, Gurugram. The condition can cause major issues.
“A microsleep patient never feels fresh and rejuvenated,” says Arun Chowdary Kotaru, associate consultant at respiratory critical care and sleep medicine, department of Artemis Hospitals, Delhi. The abovementioned Delhi boy would have three to four energy drinks while studying at night. Since he didn’t get enough rest at night, his body pushed him to sleep in the morning.
When he would wake up from the involuntary and uncontrollable sleep phases, he would feel confused and dazed. “If unchecked, the condition can become chronic, causing diabetes and even heart attack,” says Kotaru. In most cases, the condition is easily treatable.
“All one has to do is sleep well,” says Deepak Prajapat of pulmonary and critical care, Metro Hospital, Noida. The main cause of microsleep is sleep deprivation. Long flying hours, unchecked screen time, which eats into your night time sleep, high levels of stress and night shifts cause sleep deprivation, which in turn causes microsleep.
Most patients suffering from microsleep are middle aged. However, doctors are seeing a rising number of adolescent patients. Though, it’s not shocking, as most of the young today are glued to online gaming and social media.
Even their studies are on screen and it’s already proven that the blue light from mobile phones disturbs sleep. But if one stops using the screen a couple of hours before going to sleep, it could aid a good sleep for seven to eight hours. Experts recommend that patients consult a sleep specialist as soon as they start snoring loudly, wake up tired and constantly feel lethargic.
But if sleep patterns do not improve for whatever reasons, doctors cure it with either medicines or a CPAP machine. Your brain flips rapidly between being asleep and being awake in microsleep. You may have experienced it if: ● You're awakened by body jerks or your head falling forward ● You find yourself yawning or blinking excessively ● You aren't aware of something that just happened ● You have trouble processing information.
