The Dangers of Microsleep—And Its Relationship to Sleep Apnea
You’ve probably heard of some of the most common dangers related to suffering from untreated sleep apnea, including heart attack and stroke. But one sinister symptom of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) also creates danger in your life that could be resolved when you confront your sleep issues: microsleep.
What is microsleep?
Microsleep is an episode where the body drifts into sleep for only a handful of seconds and then quickly bounces out again, during a period of time when the person doesn’t mean to be sleeping.
The symptoms of microsleep include:
- Quick drifts off to sleep.
- Not being able to keep your eyes open.
- Experiencing sudden body jerks.
- Long blinks.
- Repeated head drops.
- Repeated yawning.
- Short-term memory issues.
- Inability to follow conversations or the world around you.
Microsleep happens when a person is extremely sleep-deprived or fatigued. It’s heavily associated with sleep disorders like sleep apnea, narcolepsy, and insomnia.
While the people around you might notice your microsleep episodes, the person suffering from microsleep may not realize that they are repeatedly falling asleep.
While most people can read the above symptoms and recall a time when they were very drowsy and experience microsleep, people with the above sleep disorders can suffer from microsleep on a daily basis, affecting the quality of their whole lives.
Why is microsleep dangerous?
We need to be awake and alert in order to stay safe and healthy. When sleep apnea sufferers have episodes of microsleep regularly, or even daily, they can literally be putting their lives, and the lives of others, into danger.
The two most dangerous activities you can do if you are suffering from microsleep episodes are to operate a vehicle or to operate heavy machinery. Because microsleep drops you out of consciousness for several seconds at a time, you can easily run off the road, have a collision, or be responsible for a serious work accident.
But microsleep is dangerous to anyone who needs to perform at their job in order to keep others safe—think about the consequences of an air traffic controller or heart surgeon who occasionally drifts off to sleep for a few seconds, only to jerk back awake again?
Microsleep is also associated with poor overall performance, forgetfulness, and poor decision-making—three things that can lead to dangerous situations.
Microsleep is also dangerous because it is a red flag for chronic fatigue, sleep apnea, and other serious sleep issues. Not getting enough sleep, especially over the long term, can have serious effects on your overall health, including your heart, your brain, and your mental wellbeing.
Microsleep and sleep apnea
Microsleep and sleep apnea are closely tied, and microsleep is a telling clue that you may suffer from OSA and require treatment. In fact, sleep apnea studies have found that microsleep can be a useful detector of sleep apnea in patients that might otherwise not know they have a sleep disorder.
While insomnia, hypersomnia, and narcolepsy are all causes of microsleep, researchers believe that OSA is by far the most common cause of the sleep issue. The reason is clear: when your sleep is constantly disturbed at night, your body tries to make up for it during the day, with dangerous and harmful consequences.
Microsleep treatments
Treating microsleep means treating the source of microsleep. Doctors will quickly try to determine what sleep disorder or disorders you are suffering from, and then treat you for that root issue. For those with OSA, treatment for microsleep means treatment for sleep apnea.
Those suffering from microsleep episodes are likely also suffering from moderate to severe sleep apnea, since their bodies are not getting adequate rest at night. While some may find relief in oral devices or CPAP machines, others opt for surgical sleep apnea solutions, which may permanently resolve sleep apnea without the ongoing use of appliances.
To learn more about sleep apnea surgery, take our self-evaluation or contact us today.