microsleep

[ mahy-kroh-sleep ]

noun

, Psychology.

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

microsleep

/ ˈmaɪkrəʊˌsliːp /

noun

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of microsleep¹

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

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

“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

While the data is convincing, Cirelli notes that the researchers only studied the penguins during nesting periods, making it impossible to tell if the birds microsleep when they’re not parenting.

From National Geographic