Researchers have identified a surprising brain pattern that may help explain why people with ADHD often struggle to stay focused. Even while awake, their brains can slip into brief episodes of “sleep-like” activity during demanding tasks. These moments are linked to more mistakes, slower reaction times, and lapses in attention.
A new study published in JNeurosci explores how brief bursts of sleep like brain activity during wakefulness affect a person's ability to stay focused. Elaine Pinggal of Monash University and her team investigated whether this type of brain activity plays a role in attention challenges, particularly in adults with ADHD.
To examine this, researchers measured sleep like brain activity in 32 adults with ADHD who had stopped taking medication and compared them with 31 neurotypical adults. All participants completed a task that required sustained attention.
The results showed that individuals with ADHD experienced more frequent episodes of sleep like brain activity. These moments were linked to more frequent lapses in attention. Further analysis suggested that this brain activity may help explain why ADHD is associated with attention difficulties, including increased errors during tasks, slower reaction times, and greater feelings of sleepiness.
Why the Brain Slips Into Sleep Like States
Pinggal explains that these brief shifts in brain activity are not unusual, especially during mentally demanding tasks.
"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."
Potential Future Treatments Target Sleep Related Brain Activity
Previous research in neurotypical individuals has shown that auditory stimulation during sleep can enhance slow wave activity. This may help reduce sleep like brain activity during the following day while a person is awake.
According to Pinggal, a possible next step is to test whether this same method could reduce daytime sleep like brain activity in people with ADHD. If effective, it could point to new ways of improving attention and task performance.
About ADHD
Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a common neurodevelopmental condition that affects both children and adults. It is characterized by persistent patterns of inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity that can interfere with daily life, including school, work, and relationships. People with ADHD may have trouble staying focused, following through on tasks, organizing activities, or controlling impulses.
The condition is linked to differences in brain function and development, particularly in areas involved in attention, self-control, and executive function. Symptoms can vary widely, with some individuals primarily experiencing inattentiveness, while others show more hyperactive or impulsive behavior, or a combination of both.
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/03/260317015928.htm
Elaine Pinggal, James Jackson, Anikó Kusztor, David Chapman, Jennifer Windt, Sean P.A. Drummond, Tim J. Silk, Mark A. Bellgrove, Thomas Andrillon Sleep-like Slow Waves During Wakefulness Mediate Attention and Vigilance Difficulties in Adult Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder. Journal of Neuroscience 16 March 2026, e1694252025; DOI: 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.1694-25.2025
Abstract
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.
Significance Statement We investigated whether slow waves during wakefulness could explain attentional difficulties in ADHD by comparing neurotypical adults and medication-withdrawn adults with ADHD during a sustained attention task with embedded mental state probes. Using electroencephalography, we quantified slow-wave activity and examined its relationship with objective performance measures and subjective reports of mind wandering and blanking. The ADHD group exhibited significantly higher slow wave activity which correlated with increased objective and subjective attentional lapses. Importantly, mediation analysis revealed that slow wave density accounted for performance differences between groups, suggesting that wake slow waves represent a neurophysiological mechanism underlying attentional difficulties in ADHD. These findings bridge sleep and attention research in ADHD, offering new insights into ADHD’s heterogeneous nature and potential intervention targets.
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