Summary: Have you ever felt your brain “flicker” off for a split second during a boring task? New researc reveals that these lapses are actually caused by sleep-like brain activity occurring while we are awake.
While everyone experiences these brief moments of “local sleep” when tired, adults with ADHD experience them much more frequently. This study suggests that these sleep-like intrusions are a primary mechanism behind the inconsistent attention, slower reaction times, and chronic sleepiness associated with ADHD.
Key Facts
- The “Local Sleep” Phenomenon: Sleep-like slow waves aren’t just for bedtime. They can occur in small, localized patches of the brain during wakefulness, effectively “turning off” specific circuits for a fraction of a second.
- ADHD Frequency: The study compared 32 adults with ADHD (off medication) to 31 neurotypical adults. The ADHD group showed significantly higher levels of this sleep-like activity during tasks.
- The Performance Gap: Increased sleep-like activity was directly linked to more frequent lapses in attention, higher error rates, and erratic reaction times.
- Potential Treatment: In neurotypical people, using sound (auditory stimulation) during sleep can boost deep-sleep waves, which actually reduces these sleep-like intrusions the next day. Researchers are now looking at whether this could be a new non-drug treatment for ADHD.
Source: SfN
New from Journal of Neuroscience, Elaine Pinggal, from Monash University, and colleagues assessed how sleep-like brain activity in awake adults influences sustained attention during a task.
The researchers compared sleep-like brain activity from 32 medication-withdrawn adults with ADHD to 31 neurotypical adults as participants performed a task requiring sustained attention.
The ADHD group had more sleep-like brain activity, which was associated with more lapses in attention. Further analyses revealed that this activity may drive the relationship between ADHD and attention problems, including task errors, slower reaction times, and sleepiness.
Says Pinggal, “Sleep-like brain activity is a normal phenomenon that happens during demanding tasks. Think of going for a long run and getting tired after a while, which makes you pause to take a break.
“Everyone experiences these brief moments of sleep-like activity. In people with ADHD, however, this activity occurs more frequently, and our research suggests this increased sleep-like activity may be a key brain mechanism that helps explain why these individuals have more difficulty maintaining consistent attention and performance during tasks.”
In neurotypical populations, auditory stimulation during sleep can boost slow waves, which in turn could reduce sleep-like brain activity the following day while awake. Pinggal says a potential next step could be exploring whether this approach similarly diminishes sleep-like activity during wakefulness in those with ADHD.
Key Questions Answered:
A: Not in the “head-nodding-off” sense. It’s called “local sleep.” Think of your brain like a city: while the whole city is awake and active, a few specific “neighborhoods” (brain regions) decide to turn off their lights for a second. If those neighborhoods are responsible for attention, you experience a lapse.
A: The study suggests that for people with ADHD, the boundary between “awake” and “sleep” brain states is more porous. When a task becomes demanding or repetitive, the brain “tires” faster and tries to take a micro-break by slipping into these sleep-like slow waves.
A: The research points to a fascinating future possibility: improving the quality of your actual sleep. By using specific auditory tones during the night to strengthen deep sleep, we might be able to “reset” the brain so it doesn’t feel the need to “nap” in small patches during the day.
Editorial Notes:
- This article was edited by a Neuroscience News editor.
- Journal paper reviewed in full.
- Additional context added by our staff.
About this ADHD research news
Author: SfN Media
Source: SfN
Contact: SfN Media – SfN
Image: The image is credited to Neuroscience News
Original Research: Closed access.
“Sleep-like Slow Waves During Wakefulness Mediate Attention and Vigilance Difficulties in Adult Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder” by Elaine Pinggal, James Jackson, Anikó Kusztor, David Chapman, Jennifer Windt, Sean P.A. Drummond, Tim J. Silk, Mark A. Bellgrove and Thomas Andrillon. Journal of Neuroscience
DOI:10.1523/JNEUROSCI.1694-25.2025
Abstract
Sleep-like Slow Waves During Wakefulness Mediate Attention and Vigilance Difficulties in Adult Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder
Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is characterised by behavioural variability and heightened inattention associated with increased mind wandering (MW) and mind blanking (MB). Individuals with ADHD frequently experience sleep disorders and excessive daytime sleepiness, suggesting interactions between attention and arousal systems.
Research examining brain activity using electroencephalography (EEG) has demonstrated that sleep-like slow waves (SW) during wakefulness are linked to inattention in neurotypical individuals following sleep deprivation, yet their role in ADHD remains unclear.
This study investigated whether individuals with ADHD present with altered waking SW distribution compared to neurotypical controls and whether SW explain attentional difficulties in ADHD.
Adults with (n = 32) and without ADHD (n = 31) completed a sustained attention task while EEG recorded brain activity. Mental state probes (on-task, MW, MB) were embedded within the task. Sleep-like SW reflect cortical slowing and were detected from EEG activity.
Omission/commission errors, reaction time (RT), RT variability, mental state reports and subjective sleepiness were analysed. Mediation analysis examined whether SW density explained ADHD-related performance differences.
Individuals with ADHD exhibited more commission errors, MW and MB, more theta oscillations over fronto-temporal electrodes and higher SW density (SW/min) over parieto-temporal electrodes. Increased SW density correlated with higher omission errors, slower RTs, greater RT variability, and elevated sleepiness ratings.
On-task reports were negatively correlated with SW density. Mediation analysis revealed that SW density significantly accounted for ADHD-related attentional difficulties.
Wake SW may explain attentional difficulties in ADHD, providing a potential mechanistic link between sleep disturbances and attentional fluctuations.
