Microsleep
Microsleep - this is from Wikipedia:
"A microsleep is an episode of sleep which may last for a fraction of a second or up to thirty seconds.... People who experience microsleeps usually remain unaware of them, instead believing themselves to have been awake the whole time, or feeling a sensation of 'spacing out'. One example is called "gap driving": from the perspective of the driver, he or she was driving a car, and then suddenly realizes that several seconds have passed by unnoticed. It is not obvious to the driver that he was asleep during those missing seconds, although this is in fact what happened."
I've experienced instances of microsleep since at least my teenage years, although it wasn't until today that I knew I was doing more than just spacing out. The first clear memory I have of experiencing microsleep is from high school. I found myself walking through the school parking lot, with no memory of either driving to the school, or even of getting out of the car. It was a little disconcerting! Since then I've "spaced out" many many times while driving. I wonder how many of those times when I thought I was simply spacing out, I was actually asleep?
The latest instance of microsleep while driving occurred just a couple of weeks ago, as I was coming home from lunch. I had the radio on, but it was turned down low because some annoying commercials had been on earlier. The DJ was gabbing about something, and he said, "wake up!". His statement abruptly ended my microsleep, and for about a second I was really confused. I didn't recognize the road I was driving at all. I thought maybe I had fallen asleep at the wheel, and had driving past my turn-off. Then I saw a stop sign ahead, and realized where I was. I found myself wondering, if the DJ hasn't ended my microsleep, would I have blown through the stop sign?
"A microsleep is an episode of sleep which may last for a fraction of a second or up to thirty seconds.... People who experience microsleeps usually remain unaware of them, instead believing themselves to have been awake the whole time, or feeling a sensation of 'spacing out'. One example is called "gap driving": from the perspective of the driver, he or she was driving a car, and then suddenly realizes that several seconds have passed by unnoticed. It is not obvious to the driver that he was asleep during those missing seconds, although this is in fact what happened."
I've experienced instances of microsleep since at least my teenage years, although it wasn't until today that I knew I was doing more than just spacing out. The first clear memory I have of experiencing microsleep is from high school. I found myself walking through the school parking lot, with no memory of either driving to the school, or even of getting out of the car. It was a little disconcerting! Since then I've "spaced out" many many times while driving. I wonder how many of those times when I thought I was simply spacing out, I was actually asleep?
The latest instance of microsleep while driving occurred just a couple of weeks ago, as I was coming home from lunch. I had the radio on, but it was turned down low because some annoying commercials had been on earlier. The DJ was gabbing about something, and he said, "wake up!". His statement abruptly ended my microsleep, and for about a second I was really confused. I didn't recognize the road I was driving at all. I thought maybe I had fallen asleep at the wheel, and had driving past my turn-off. Then I saw a stop sign ahead, and realized where I was. I found myself wondering, if the DJ hasn't ended my microsleep, would I have blown through the stop sign?