Researchers at Monash University have found that adults with ADHD experience more frequent episodes of sleep-like brain activity during wakefulness, which correlates with attention lapses. The study, published in the Journal of Neuroscience, links these brief shifts to errors, slower reactions, and increased sleepiness during tasks. Lead author Elaine Pinggal suggests this mechanism underlies attention difficulties in ADHD.
A study published in the Journal of Neuroscience reveals that brains of adults with ADHD slip into brief sleep-like states more often than those of neurotypical individuals, even during demanding wakeful tasks. Elaine Pinggal of Monash University and colleagues examined 32 adults with ADHD who had ceased medication, comparing them to 31 neurotypical adults on a sustained attention task. Measurements showed higher frequency of sleep-like brain activity in the ADHD group, associated with more attention lapses, errors, slower reaction times, and greater subjective sleepiness. Pinggal noted, “Sleep-like brain activity is a normal phenomenon that happens during demanding tasks... 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.” The findings build on prior research showing auditory stimulation during sleep can boost slow wave activity and reduce daytime sleep-like episodes in neurotypical people. Pinggal indicated future tests could explore this approach for ADHD to improve attention. ADHD, a neurodevelopmental disorder, involves persistent inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity affecting daily functioning. The paper, titled 'Sleep-like Slow Waves During Wakefulness Mediate Attention and Vigilance Difficulties in Adult Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder,' appeared in 2026 with DOI: 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.1694-25.2025.
