in snatches

In or for brief periods of time. I caught the speech in snatches, but the kids were screaming in the other room so I couldn't hear the TV properly. I was so anxious about how to pay for the car repairs that I only slept in snatches. Fluffy will play in snatches, but she's not a kitten anymore. She likes a cozy nap more than anything these days.

in ˈsnatches

for short periods rather than continuously: Sleep came to him in brief snatches. OPPOSITE: at a stretch