timesleep

Timesleep is a programming construct and, in many languages, a function used to suspend the execution of the current thread or process for a specified duration. The exact name and signature vary by language and library, but timesleep is commonly treated as a controlled pause that yields processor time to other tasks.

Most implementations allow specifying a duration in units such as seconds, milliseconds, or microseconds. In some APIs, a single seconds parameter is used; in others, a higher-precision form accepts a composite value or separate seconds and sub-second components.

Under the hood, timesleep is typically implemented as a timer that blocks or sleeps the thread until the timer expires, often via a system call or kernel timer. Depending on the OS scheduler, the actual wake-up time may be sooner or later than requested. Some environments allow the sleep to be interrupted, returning the remaining time.

Common uses include pacing loops, delaying retries, or coordinating actions across threads or processes. Timesleep can also be used in testing to simulate delays.

Limitations include imperfect precision due to timer granularity and scheduling, potential power implications, and unintended latency in time-critical code. For high-precision timing or real-time requirements, alternative approaches such as busy-wait loops or event-driven timers are considered, though they have their own trade-offs.

See also: sleep, usleep, nanosleep, delay, thread sleep, time.sleep.