# Microsleep and wavering focus **URL:** \ **Category:** Neuroscience, Psychology, and Health\ **Created:** [December 4, 2022, 3:15pm UTC](https://forum.artofmemory.com/t/microsleep-and-wavering-focus/78791 "2022-12-04T15:15:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![sparklesglitter](https://forum.artofmemory.com/user_avatar/forum.artofmemory.com/sparklesglitter/32/17080_2.png) [@sparklesglitter](https://forum.artofmemory.com/u/sparklesglitter)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2022, 3:15pm UTC](https://forum.artofmemory.com/t/microsleep-and-wavering-focus/78791/1 "2022-12-04T15:15:28Z")
Hello guys ! I am having trouble focusing on what Im studying . even if Im moderately interested in the topic I keep dozing off . I tried to read with my finger as pointer but I would find my finger stopping midway and myself dozing off . This happens during the day mostly .earlier I used to have a time slot in my day where I knew I would feel sleepy (9:00 am to around 11:30 am) and I was just getting alright with it . but now I keep dozing off when I read something for studies at other times as well. while I am quite receptive to the video lectures ( maybe because they are visual and auditory both ) ,its the reading that is becoming tough .I can read fiction quite nicely though. I sleep a fine number of hours so sleep deprivation is not the cause. I want to get rid of the microsleeps. please suggest something. ---
**Author:** ![sparklesglitter](https://forum.artofmemory.com/user_avatar/forum.artofmemory.com/sparklesglitter/32/17080_2.png) [@sparklesglitter](https://forum.artofmemory.com/u/sparklesglitter)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2022, 2:13pm UTC](https://forum.artofmemory.com/t/microsleep-and-wavering-focus/78791/3 "2022-12-05T14:13:05Z")
Around 20 minutes in, I believe ---
**Author:** ![czachorxp](https://forum.artofmemory.com/user_avatar/forum.artofmemory.com/czachorxp/32/17018_2.png) [@czachorxp](https://forum.artofmemory.com/u/czachorxp)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2022, 4:43pm UTC](https://forum.artofmemory.com/t/microsleep-and-wavering-focus/78791/5 "2022-12-05T16:43:32Z")
Hi sparklesglitter, czachorxp here. I can empathise. I find feeling sleepy before I even open the book. My case has different origins than yours, but we arrived at the same place: feeling bored of books. So To be frank, I am still not a skilled reader, but an aspiring one. My problem I assume, is that I haven’t yet found the purpose of reading books. In fact, I am finding it as I write this reply post. The purpose of reading books is to understand the world around me, but more importantly, understanding myself by finding little gems of wisdom in the words of those that came before you. Furthermore, what might help is to think of reading books as a treasure hunt. We are looking for hidden treasures of wisdom in the texts. (got a lot of this from “How To Read A Book”- Mortimer J Adler & Charles Van Doren) ---
**Author:** ![sparklesglitter](https://forum.artofmemory.com/user_avatar/forum.artofmemory.com/sparklesglitter/32/17080_2.png) [@sparklesglitter](https://forum.artofmemory.com/u/sparklesglitter)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2022, 6:38pm UTC](https://forum.artofmemory.com/t/microsleep-and-wavering-focus/78791/6 "2022-12-05T18:38:51Z")
okay I will try this ! ---
**Author:** ![sparklesglitter](https://forum.artofmemory.com/user_avatar/forum.artofmemory.com/sparklesglitter/32/17080_2.png) [@sparklesglitter](https://forum.artofmemory.com/u/sparklesglitter)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2022, 6:53pm UTC](https://forum.artofmemory.com/t/microsleep-and-wavering-focus/78791/8 "2022-12-13T18:53:16Z")
Hi user\_7e , I tried the1st advice of applying it as 15 min study & 3 min break .I found it working better than the 2nd one (reducing speed by 30%) .But I realised that the issue wasn’t actually as much biological as it was psychological. It was also in the way I was approaching the study subject , which I must confess was very lethargic . At first I was not taking notes , and then I started with drawing mind maps but when I was doing it on paper I was not able to get a good structure and the flexibility to add in more subtopics and tweak it, so I was getting kinda put off by the whole chore. but then I’ve changed it a bit and have started using an app for mind maps(its giving me more flexibility & structure and hence working better for me)I’ve also made a checklist of things I must consider before even opening the book which involves all the steps I must do to grasp the topic and not merely read through the chapter passively . and as this made my study session more interesting for me I realised that 30 minutes pomodoro sessions were working very fine for me, I was not feeling sleepy at all . But then recently something happened that made me feel kinda helpless and it had this ripple effect of making me apathetic towards studying ( I guess this state of helplessness extended to different arenas of my life …making me subconsiously behave like I couldn’t help myself and thus reasserting my belief in the helpless state I was experiencing outside) . Suffice to say this trigerred me to feel sleepy again while studying and I did try to go through my checklist but the mental blocks were staying my progress. So this sleepiness reminded me of this post and I thought I should give an update. Im trying to change my mental state overall and this is again making me more enthusiastic about studying (helping myself) . I guess now I will just have to make another checklist for changing my mental states 🫣 ---
**Author:** ![czachorxp](https://forum.artofmemory.com/user_avatar/forum.artofmemory.com/czachorxp/32/17018_2.png) [@czachorxp](https://forum.artofmemory.com/u/czachorxp)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2022, 7:18pm UTC](https://forum.artofmemory.com/t/microsleep-and-wavering-focus/78791/9 "2022-12-13T19:18:24Z")
I personally find that paying attention to my breath during reading (or any difficult task) helps me stay focused and alert. Specifically, slow and controlled breathing, I find, is the best way for me. It’s important to pay attention to the breath because it’s easy to stop paying attention to it. Breathing can be both autonomic and sympathetic in that we can both be conscious or unconscious of it. Being conscious is good because it helps us get LESS air, which makes the veins and arteries thinner (which ultimately helps us relax). Being unconscious of our breath gives room for us to be conscious of the reading material. So in theory, I believe switching between being conscious and unconscious of the breath can help you stay awake. I suggest you research the Buteyko Breathing method to learn more about why less oxygen equals a healthier way of life. ---
**Author:** ![sparklesglitter](https://forum.artofmemory.com/user_avatar/forum.artofmemory.com/sparklesglitter/32/17080_2.png) [@sparklesglitter](https://forum.artofmemory.com/u/sparklesglitter)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2022, 7:36pm UTC](https://forum.artofmemory.com/t/microsleep-and-wavering-focus/78791/10 "2022-12-13T19:36:16Z")
This is interesting , I will have to read on it a bit further to understand it. but the idea I have gotten till now seems like it could really help me be more present in the activity that I m doing.I think sleepiness is also triggered by my lack of consiousness of the moment. . But I didn’t quite get this line - "Being unconscious of our breath gives room for us to be conscious of the reading material. " I thought consciousness of breath was helping. It seems contradictory to the above idea, or maybe I dint get it… ---
**Author:** ![czachorxp](https://forum.artofmemory.com/user_avatar/forum.artofmemory.com/czachorxp/32/17018_2.png) [@czachorxp](https://forum.artofmemory.com/u/czachorxp)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2022, 4:28pm UTC](https://forum.artofmemory.com/t/microsleep-and-wavering-focus/78791/12 "2022-12-14T16:28:25Z")
I was trying to explain how, when I’m too conscious of my breath, I am no longer thinking about the reading material. When I’m super into the reading material, I am no longer thinking about the breath. What I am proposing is that we cannot be conscious of both at the same time, so we need to switch between focusing on the breath and the reading. Perhaps it is possible to be conscious partly of the breath and partly of the reading, which then I should strive to define what is the best ratio (how much attention should I pay to my breath vs the reading), and how to get there. ---
**Author:** ![sparklesglitter](https://forum.artofmemory.com/user_avatar/forum.artofmemory.com/sparklesglitter/32/17080_2.png) [@sparklesglitter](https://forum.artofmemory.com/u/sparklesglitter)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2022, 6:15pm UTC](https://forum.artofmemory.com/t/microsleep-and-wavering-focus/78791/13 "2022-12-14T18:15:57Z")
> [@czachorxp](#): > > What I am proposing is that we cannot be conscious of both at the same time, so we need to switch between focusing on the breath and the reading I get what you meant now. How often do you switch between consciousness of breath and reading ? > [@czachorxp](#): > > What I am proposing is that we cannot be conscious of both at the same time, so we need to switch between focusing on the breath and the reading. I realised I have not been conscious of my breathing while reading , I mean even alternating . Infact it’s only when feeling overwhelmed have I ever made a deliberate attempt to pay attention to my breathing ( as that’s supposed to calm us ) and you mentioned in the above post . > [@czachorxp](#): > > Being conscious is good because it helps us get LESS air, which makes the veins and arteries thinner (which ultimately helps us relax) ---
**Author:** ![sparklesglitter](https://forum.artofmemory.com/user_avatar/forum.artofmemory.com/sparklesglitter/32/17080_2.png) [@sparklesglitter](https://forum.artofmemory.com/u/sparklesglitter)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2022, 6:28pm UTC](https://forum.artofmemory.com/t/microsleep-and-wavering-focus/78791/14 "2022-12-14T18:28:10Z")
Yes I think keeping in my mind that a short session could always be taken , would also help remove any inertia for me to get started . ---
**Author:** ![tarnation](https://forum.artofmemory.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@tarnation](https://forum.artofmemory.com/u/tarnation)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2022, 12:17am UTC](https://forum.artofmemory.com/t/microsleep-and-wavering-focus/78791/15 "2022-12-15T00:17:49Z")
Have you ruled out sleep apnea? It can lead to falling asleep unexpectedly. Also difficulties with focus and attention. ---
**Author:** ![sparklesglitter](https://forum.artofmemory.com/user_avatar/forum.artofmemory.com/sparklesglitter/32/17080_2.png) [@sparklesglitter](https://forum.artofmemory.com/u/sparklesglitter)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2022, 4:59am UTC](https://forum.artofmemory.com/t/microsleep-and-wavering-focus/78791/16 "2022-12-15T04:59:38Z")
I don’t have sleep apnea … So that’s not the problem ---
**Author:** ![czachorxp](https://forum.artofmemory.com/user_avatar/forum.artofmemory.com/czachorxp/32/17018_2.png) [@czachorxp](https://forum.artofmemory.com/u/czachorxp)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2022, 2:29pm UTC](https://forum.artofmemory.com/t/microsleep-and-wavering-focus/78791/17 "2022-12-15T14:29:47Z")
I feel like someone who reads well wouldn’t be extremely conscious of either. Just a slight consciousness, but mostly in a flow state. ---
**Author:** ![ManuelBagoole](https://forum.artofmemory.com/user_avatar/forum.artofmemory.com/manuelbagoole/32/10405_2.png) [@ManuelBagoole](https://forum.artofmemory.com/u/ManuelBagoole)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2023, 4:01am UTC](https://forum.artofmemory.com/t/microsleep-and-wavering-focus/78791/18 "2023-11-03T04:01:36Z")
I suggest you keep a glass of water with you. Take sips of it at reasonable intervals. Alot like how you would take coffee as you read a news article ---
**Author:** ![Zipho\_Lunika](https://forum.artofmemory.com/user_avatar/forum.artofmemory.com/zipho_lunika/32/31578_2.png) [@Zipho\_Lunika](https://forum.artofmemory.com/u/Zipho_Lunika)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2023, 9:30am UTC](https://forum.artofmemory.com/t/microsleep-and-wavering-focus/78791/19 "2023-11-07T09:30:36Z")
How would you describe your social media use? ---
**Author:** ![sparklesglitter](https://forum.artofmemory.com/user_avatar/forum.artofmemory.com/sparklesglitter/32/17080_2.png) [@sparklesglitter](https://forum.artofmemory.com/u/sparklesglitter)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2023, 2:01pm UTC](https://forum.artofmemory.com/t/microsleep-and-wavering-focus/78791/20 "2023-12-08T14:01:57Z")
Minimal . I’m not on any social media platform. My only job is to wake up study and a bit of daily chores. But sleep is still becoming a time consuming thing for me. ---
**Author:** ![AndersonAraujoBrasil](https://forum.artofmemory.com/user_avatar/forum.artofmemory.com/andersonaraujobrasil/32/20801_2.png) [@AndersonAraujoBrasil](https://forum.artofmemory.com/u/AndersonAraujoBrasil)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2023, 4:59pm UTC](https://forum.artofmemory.com/t/microsleep-and-wavering-focus/78791/21 "2023-12-08T16:59:28Z")
Isn’t it some medicine? The ideal is to seek a specialist doctor… ---
**Author:** ![sparklesglitter](https://forum.artofmemory.com/user_avatar/forum.artofmemory.com/sparklesglitter/32/17080_2.png) [@sparklesglitter](https://forum.artofmemory.com/u/sparklesglitter)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2023, 8:43am UTC](https://forum.artofmemory.com/t/microsleep-and-wavering-focus/78791/22 "2023-12-09T08:43:23Z")
I mean that’s an ideal in every situation , but I specifically seem to be falling asleep while studying . So the problem is somewhere in my study habits . A doctor couldn’t help with that . It’s alright though , I’m learning to help myself . ---
**Author:** ![tarnation](https://forum.artofmemory.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@tarnation](https://forum.artofmemory.com/u/tarnation)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2023, 8:20pm UTC](https://forum.artofmemory.com/t/microsleep-and-wavering-focus/78791/23 "2023-12-10T20:20:36Z")
Would it temporarily raise your alertness levels if you briefly interrupt your reading to imagine you are performing a vigorous or exciting physical activity? For example, if you have been reading for a few minutes and feel yourself starting to slide into sleepiness, interrupt your reading, briefly picture yourself playing a vigorous sport that you enjoy. Or maybe picture yourself responding to an physical threat. Or perhaps visualize yourself exercising. Or imagine being in the presence of someone you find sexually attractive. The particulars don’t matter as long as your imaginary activities trigger your alertness to rise. When your alertness rises, try reading again. Rinse and repeat to try to learn how to sustain your alertness while reading. If this method works for you, you can try to develop it into a self-training method where you gradually gain skill in raising your alertness levels while reading (each time you start to drowse off). With practice, you may not need to consciously imagine the activities—instead, you may become able to activate your alertness circuits directly: that is, being alert simply by intending to be alert. The above is an example of self-directed feedback learning. If self-training is not working, an alternative would be to seek out a reputable clinician for neuro-feedback therapy. Neuro-feedback, using EEG or other tools, is reputedly very effective for gaining conscious control over alertness levels. That said, I would only suggest it for cases where the sleepiness is truly behavioural. ---
**Author:** ![sparklesglitter](https://forum.artofmemory.com/user_avatar/forum.artofmemory.com/sparklesglitter/32/17080_2.png) [@sparklesglitter](https://forum.artofmemory.com/u/sparklesglitter)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2024, 7:00am UTC](https://forum.artofmemory.com/t/microsleep-and-wavering-focus/78791/24 "2024-01-18T07:00:08Z")
Thank you @ tarnation This is really helpful and enlightening. It also reminds me of the NLP practices that I had stopped implementing. I wonder if I can also use it for waking up . I have changed my studying habits and also stopped going against my circadian rhythm , which has really helped me with alertness and focus. I believe it was purely behavioural, cause last few weeks I had been studying for my exams and I had no trouble staying alert . And even before that I had changed my studying techniques from lower order learning to higher order learning , which seemed to make studying much more interesting and worth it . I was looking at studies with an information storing perspective earlier , but now I’m looking at it as an opportunity to gain knowledge and making connections. For example , earlier when I used to study about prehistoric paintings I was more focused on what was the subject matter , materials used and other facts …… this was not incentive enough for me to be alert .I subconsciously did not find it fruitful. But now I also try to connect things like the subject matter of paintings was based on the lives they lived , the things that mattered to them ,so I get a psychological perspective as well , also I m much more curious to know the life of the early humans . The materials they used , are still intact so I like to make a connection with chemistry as well . I leverage my curiosity , that keeps me focused and interested. This has really worked for me . [Next page](https://forum.artofmemory.com/t/microsleep-and-wavering-focus/78791.md?page=2)