The number of traffic accidents in Indonesia is still increase. Many traffic accidents occur due to the driver not concentrating. One of the causes is microsleep. What is microsleep?
Microsleep is not the same as normal sleep. This condition is an event of loss of consciousness or attention of a person because he feels sleepy, so he will fall asleep suddenly but only in a very short time, which is about one second to two minutes accompanied by a loud jerk of the head. A sudden jerk of the head is a sign that you have fallen a sleep.
Indeed, not all sleepiness will be microsleep. However, there are four things that are thought to increase the risk of microsleep::
- Sleep disturbances. The brain becomes less concentrated during the day can be caused by sleep disorders that result in a decrease in the quantity and quality of sleep such as insomnia and sleep apnea
- Night shift work. If you often work the night shift, one of the risks is that you can reduce sleep time because of a shift in sleep time. Microsleep is very likely to occur during the transition period of sleep
- Have a sleep debt. If you often sleep less than 6 hours a night, it can cause you to have a sleep debt. The amount of sleep debt can increase the risk of experiencing microsleep at any time
- Medication One of the side effects of taking drugs is drowsiness. If you are also sleep deprived, then these side effects can make you feel sleepy
How to Avoid Microsleeps
There are four things you can do to avoid microsleep, especially when you are or will be driving:
- Consuming coffee. But you need to give some time before driving. Usually, coffee gives effect 30 minutes after consumption.
- Stay active. You can do activities that keep you awake like chatting while driving or you can also use public transportation to walk and stand.
- Get enough sleep, which is 7-9 hours so that you can carry out activities with a fresh mind and body.
- Rest if sleepy. If you feel tired or sleepy while driving, stop immediately and take the time to fall asleep. Especially if you drive long distances, it is recommended that you take a break every 1-2 hours.
If left unchecked, the habit of microsleep can pose a safety hazard. This is because microsleep is at risk of causing accidents due to loss of consciousness while driving a vehicle. Keep in mind, under normal circumstances, the brain can capture and process various stimuli, but if you experience fatigue it will make your concentration disturbed so that the brain becomes more limited to stronger stimuli.
Literature sources:
https://www.sleep.org/what-is-microsleep/
https://health.clevelandclinic.org/what-you-should-know-about-microsleep/
https://hellosehat.com/pola-tidur/gangguan-tidur/microsleep/
https://bettersleep.org/blog/microsleep-causes-and-dangers/
https://www.halodoc.com/artikel/microsleep-tidur-singkat-yang-membahayakan-kesehatan
Picture sources : https://oto.detik.com/tips-and-tricks-mobil/d-5319798/jadi-penyebab-kecelakaan-kenali-bahaya-microsleep-dan-cara-mengatasinya