My Alert

Did you know you could be asleep for a few seconds and not realize it? Scientists call these micro sleeps. When you’re really tired and force yourself to stay awake, your brain will sneak in little naps. They usually last for 2 to 3 seconds but can last much longer. The frightening thing is that you don’t realize that you were asleep. During a micro sleep, you stop responding to events around you. Researchers of drowsy drivers observed that drivers could sleep for up to 8 seconds without realizing it. That’s plenty of time to drift out of your lane and crash into a tree, a sign, or an oncoming car.