Microsleep while driving
Microsleep: you don't notice it. Your car keeps going.
A microsleep is a short lapse into sleep, often only a few seconds long. Behind the wheel, a few seconds is a long way.
What a microsleep is
When you are very tired, your brain can switch off for a moment even while you are trying to stay awake. Your eyelids droop or close, your attention is gone, and then you are back. A microsleep is that moment.
Why you don't notice it
Falling asleep does not feel like anything from the inside. You do not feel the moment it starts, so afterwards it can seem as if nothing happened.
Often the only clue is something you missed: an exit, a sign, the last few kilometres. That is why counting on yourself to notice is not enough.
How far your car travels
At 100 km/h a car covers 27.8 metres every second.
- A 5-second microsleep: about 139 metres.
- A 10-second microsleep: about 278 metres.
- Who is steering: nobody.
This is arithmetic, not a study: 100 km/h ÷ 3.6 = 27.8 m/s.
Try your own speed
Distance with nobody steering: 139 m
Distance = speed in km/h ÷ 3.6 × seconds.
Signs that come before a microsleep
- Heavy eyelids and longer blinks
- Yawning again and again
- Drifting in your lane
- Missing an exit or a sign
- Not remembering the last few kilometres
- Your head dropping forward
If you notice any of these, stop somewhere safe and rest. Coffee, cold air and loud music do not stop a microsleep.
How to stay awake while driving
Something outside you has to watch
Road Companion measures how long each blink lasts. When the average of your last 5 blinks reaches 0.3 seconds, it speaks up. After 3 long closures in 10 minutes, it suggests a break. When your eyes stay closed for more than 1 second, it sounds a loud alarm.
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