Have you ever experienced a situation; you are driving and you lose focus, or maybe you fall asleep. When available, was your vehicle close to the car in front, hit the steering wheel or windshield of the vehicle, or maybe you were hit for entering the next lane? If you have ever experienced it, the condition is called microsleep. What is 'microsleep'?

• It refers to a brief episode of uncontrollable sleep and occurs for a period of between 1 to 30 seconds. 
• Occurs without warning and often occurs when an individual who is in a drowsy state tries to fight the feeling and stay awake. 
• It can also occur when the eyes are and are still open. 
• It is dangerous when it occurs while driving or operating machinery, which has the potential to increase the risk of a serious accident. 

What is the cause?

• It is usually caused by extreme drowsiness and combined with tedious tasks such as driving or watching television. The higher your drowsiness, the higher the potential review for you to experience it. 
• Lack of sleep, which is caused by sleep disorder problems such as insomnia or not getting an adequate quantity of sleep are among the main factors. 

How to prevent it? 

• Make sure you get quality and adequate sleep at night. The recommended amount of sleep for an adult is between 7 and 9 hours. 
• Making some changes in your daily routine can also help improve the quality of sleep  , such as:
  • Turn off and turn off lights, television, or radio during sleep.
  • Avoid any activity that can stimulate intelligence during bedtime.
  • Keep room temperature at a comfortable level.
  • If you are too sleepy during the day, give yourself time to fall asleep, make sure it is no more than 20 minutes, commonly known as a nap (power nap). It can help make you fresher.
  • Avoid sleeping more than 30 minutes unless you plan to stay up at night. Sleeping in the evening for more than 30 minutes will make you feel more sleepy and lethargic.
• There are several steps that can be taken to avoid feeling drowsy or microsleep while driving. 
  • Take time to stop and rest in a safe place.
  • Chat with your passengers. If possible, avoid driving alone if you are driving long distances and try to chat with your passengers. 
  • Get a drink like coffee, to get rid of your drowsiness as it can help you to stay awake and energetic. Caffeine takes at least 30 minutes to get its effect. Within 30 minutes you are still at risk for microsleep. 
  • Open the car window. One of the reasons why microsleep occurs is because of the lack of oxygen in your body. So try to breathe fresh air especially when you are driving in an urban area. 

SOURCE FROM caring2u

Date of Input: 28/06/2022 | Updated: 28/06/2022 | s_syazana