Microsleep

What is Micro Sleep and is it Good for You?



Microsleep


Preconscious the part of the mind in which preconscious thoughts or memories reside...
of or associated with a part of the mind below the level of immediate conscious awareness, from which memories and emotions that have not been repressed can be recalled, and one is more creative at this state by bring awake and asleep.


The preconscious, according to Freud, is the area that lies between conscious awareness and the unconscious. When thoughts are in the preconscious they are not at the conscious level nor are they buried in the unconscious but they are in between and can be retrieved or called into consciousness. According to Freud, this is an area where thoughts stay temporarily, not permanently.

Thoughts are preconscious when they are unconscious at a particular moment, but are not repressed. Therefore, preconscious thoughts are available for recall and easily 'capable of becoming conscious'—a phrase attributed by Sigmund Freud to Joseph Breuer.


What Is The Preconscious And What Does It Mean To Me?


Most of us have heard of the conscious and unconscious mind, but the word 'preconscious' isn't as widely known or used. What does this unfamiliar word mean? Is it a different part of the mind no one talks much about? Or, is it a part of the conscious or unconscious? Learning about the preconscious mind can change the way you think about your thoughts and memories.

Preconscious Definition

As mention the definition of preconscious psychology uses psychoanalytic theory as its' basis. Josef Bauer, an Austrian physician specializing in the brain, may have coined the word. Freud used it extensively for many years before he developed the idea of the id, ego, and superego as the three parts of the psyche.

The preconscious refers to the thoughts you aren't actively thinking of but can call to mind easily given the right trigger. In contrast, unconscious thoughts are repressed to the point that you can't remember them without extreme effort and specialized help.

The Preconscious In Psychoanalytic Theory

Preconscious does come from psychoanalytic theory, but eclectic therapists and others might also use the term in the same way. Freud's original conception of the term is a part of his theory on the levels of consciousness.

Conscious, Preconscious, And Unconscious

Freud talked about conscious, preconscious, and unconscious thoughts. The conscious thoughts are those we're aware of right now. We must actively hold these thoughts in mind. If we don't, that data might be stored in the long-term memory or the unconscious mind.



The unconscious mind encompasses all the thoughts we have that we aren't actively thinking about at this moment. Within the unconscious mind, Freud said, there are the thoughts we can't easily retrieve. These may be traumatic memories or thoughts we have repressed.

There are also the preconscious thoughts we aren't thinking of now but can think of easily if we choose to or something triggers us to think about them. We aren't using those thoughts right now, but we can pull them out of our unconscious minds quickly and easily.

Some sources place the preconscious as a part of the mind that's separate from the unconscious. This interpretation of Freudian theory makes a clear distinction between the part of the mind we can access and the part we can't. However, whether the preconscious mind is a part of the unconscious or not, all three aspects of the mind can work together as we perceive and make decisions about our life.

Id, Ego, And Superego

As Freud continued to develop psychoanalytic theory, he had difficulty refining the definitions of conscious, unconscious, and preconscious. After that, he focused on the three parts of the psyche he identified as the id, the ego, and the superego.

The id is the disorganized part of the psyche where instincts and impulses rule. The superego is the part of the personality that's concerned with what we should do. The ego mediates between the id and superego to choose what you do. The ego is ultimately the decision-making part of your mind.

Freud also related the id, ego, and superego to the theory of conscious and unconscious mind. He saw the ego and superego as conscious parts of the personality. The id has our unconscious desires and drives that aren't accepted socially or within your conception of what's right and wrong.

The ego operates mostly in the conscious mind, although it may call on the preconscious mind for information and memories. The superego operates mostly in the conscious mind as well. However, there may be times when you have feelings of right and wrong without being aware of the thoughts that go with those feelings.



The Benefits Of The Preconscious Mind

Your preconscious mind is a very handy thing to have. It provides several benefits that the conscious mind can't supply alone.

Stored Memories

Long-term memories are stored in your preconscious and unconscious minds, because your conscious mind only holds the memories, thoughts, perceptions, and desires, you're experiencing at this exact moment. Because the memories are close at hand, your brain power goes far beyond the thoughts you can hold in mind at any given moment.

Known Memories Are Easily Accessed

Your unconscious and preconscious minds contain all your memories that go back longer than a few minutes. However, you can't usually recall repressed memories from your unconscious without help or a very powerful trigger. The memories within your preconscious are all right there, waiting to be called on as needed.

No Need For Worry

A common misconception is that when you have a problem, worrying about it will get you closer to a solution. However, the truth is that your pre-conscious mind can hold those thoughts and work on them without you being aware of the process. Suddenly, the answer comes to you, sometimes even more easily than when you keep your conscious mind actively focused on the problem. You don't need to worry. Your preconscious mind is working in the background!

Intuitive Understanding

Our intuition comes across as a feeling, but it's based on thoughts we aren't aware of. These thoughts reside in the preconscious or unconscious. We may not consciously know the specific reasons why we have a feeling that something's right or not right, but more deeply, we do know. This intuitive understanding can be invaluable for self-protection and achievement.

Finding Solutions From Within

As adults, we try to draw conclusions and base our decisions on what seems the most true to us. In short, we want to rely on our inner resources to make important life decisions.

You have such a breadth of knowledge within your preconscious that you can use to solve life's problems. By calling on these memories and bringing them into your conscious mind, you can benefit from experiences and information you've committed to memory. You can learn from them long after the events have taken place.

How Therapists Work With The Preconscious

Whether you're experiencing emotional difficulties, trying to make an important decision, dealing with relationship issues, or trying to overcome a mental condition, therapy can help you handle each of those situations. Therapists, whether they practice psychoanalytic methods or other types of therapy, help you tap into the thoughts within your preconscious mind. They do this for several reasons.



Connecting Memories

Often, we have two bits of information or two experiences we could put together to provide us with insights we may never have realized before. Both factors may be in your preconscious so that you aren't aware of them at the moment.

A skilled therapist, can prompt you to remember facts and events that will help you draw your own conclusions. If your psychologist knows your background at all, they probably have some ideas about what kinds of experiences you might have had that apply to the current situation.

For example, if you're trying to resolve a conflict with your child, your therapist might ask you to try to remember certain childhood experiences. Then, they might ask you to remember a time when you faced a similar conflict between you and an adult. By connecting these memories in your conscious mind, the therapist can help you decipher the differences and similarities between having a conflict with a child and having a conflict with an adult.

Teaching You Through Your Own Experiences

Therapists can help you connect memories from your preconscious to the conscious thoughts you're having during the session. In this way, they help you activate your mental resources. As you move from stored information to conscious thought, you find it easier to make these connections on your own.

Fine-Tuning Your Awareness

The main value of having information in your preconscious mind is in being able to quickly use it. We can only make reasoned decisions on things we're aware of at the moment. What we choose to be aware of can make the difference between making a positive decision and continuing to struggle. After you have an insight in therapy, your therapist suggest that you keep that insight in mind as you face an upcoming situation that might be difficult for you to handle. Of course, you won't have that information locked in your conscious mind from the time of the session to the time the event happens. However, you can call it up from your preconscious as soon as the event begins to happen.

If you would like to learn more about what your preconscious is and how you can use it to improve your life, getting into therapy is an excellent choice. Online therapy at www.Betterhelp.com is convenient and affordable. As you learn to navigate the conscious and preconscious aspects of your mind and thoughts, you can gain cognitive skills that will serve you well for the rest of your life.

Short naps help keep you in the Preconscious state wherein uou' re most creative Thos. Edison s prolific inventor, was said that he took catnaps in his lab.

Have you ever woken up to your name being called, only to realize you had dozed off at the meeting?

If you answered yes, you may have experienced microsleep. It is a short burst of unintended sleep that often occurs without the person’s realization. Although microsleep can be experienced by anyone, it is more common among people who work odd hours, are sleep deprived, or have a sleep disorder like insomnia or sleep apnea. Such brief episodes of unexpected sleep are often the cause of road accidents and other mishaps. It is important to note that microsleep is not the same thing as a power nap.



What exactly is microsleep?

Microsleep can be best described as a brief, unintended period of loss of attention, often associated with blank stares or eye closure when trying to stay awake during a monotonous task like listening to a lecture or watching TV. This happens the most when the person is tired and sleepy yet trying to perform normal activities. One of the most common consequences of insomnia, microsleep often turns to be dangerous and even fatal.

The duration of a microsleep is anywhere between a fraction of a second to two minutes. Since microsleep often occurs with the eyes open, the person is not aware that it has happened. In a state of microsleep, even though the eyes are open, the person will fail to respond to information, like seeing a signal or hearing their name being called. Drowsy driving is often the result of microsleep, where the person is not even aware that he has dozed off.



When does microsleep happen?

Scientists have found that microsleep is most likely to happen at the time of the day when the person is supposed to be sleeping. It could be late at night, early dawn, or mid afternoon hours. The frequency of microsleep increases as the person keeps being sleep deprived and accumulates sleep debt. The more sleep deprived the person is, the more the chances of microsleep happening.

Sleep scientists also claim that everyone experiences microsleep when falling asleep. The first fifteen seconds of drifting off to sleep can be called a microsleep episode when the lights in the brain flickers for a while before turning out.



What causes microsleep?

Even though microsleep episodes can happen to anyone, it is the most common among people who are sleep deprived. It can also occur to people engaged in a routine, monotonous task for a prolonged period. Research has found that during microsleep, parts of the brain fall asleep while other parts stay awake, explaining the selective loss of attention.

People with sleep disorders like insomnia or sleep apnea are also at risk. In fact, in several instances, microsleep episodes are used to diagnose sleep disorders. Common sleep disorders that can cause microsleep episodes are:



    Sleep apnea, where the individual does not get proper sleep at night because of irregular breathing. Even though people with sleep apnea may get enough hours of sleep, the quality of sleep is affected because of frequent waking up. People with this disorder are at a high risk of microsleep, and also happen to be involved in the highest number of drowsy driving cases.



    Excessive daytime sleepiness, where the individual is sleep deprived because of insomnia and struggles to stay awake during the day. This is a well recognized symptom of insomnia.



Warning signs

There are ways to recognize and prevent microsleep. You are prone to experience microsleep if you:

    Feel excessively sleepy.
    Have difficulty keeping your eyes open.
    Find your eyelids drooping or closing, have a blank expression, or have to blink to keep your eyes open.
    Have difficulty following directions.
    Yawn a lot.
    Have a foggy memory.
    Feel irritable or moody.
    Have difficulty driving on track and keep drifting to the side.
    Experience head jerks that wake you up.



Consequences of microsleep can range from missing an important lecture or the exit while driving, to car and workplace accidents. It helps to recognize signs and prevent microsleep as best as possible.



The following are some of the ways to prevent microsleep:



    Avoid driving or working with hazardous machinery when you are sleepy.
    Before setting out for a long drive, make sure you get some sleep to avoid feeling drowsy on the road.
    Travel with a companion or play upbeat music to remain alert on the road.
    In a class or office, fidgeting quietly, engaging in productive conversation and taking breaks to walk around are some of the ways to drive away sleepiness.
    Get sufficient sleep every night, and consult a doctor to rule out sleep disorders.



Microsleep may seem like an ordinary occurrence, but it can often have dangerous consequences. Getting proper sleep and getting diagnosed for sleep disorders are some of the ways to prevent episodes of microsleep on the road or at work