Adults with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder appear to experience brief, sleep-like slow waves in specific brain regions while awake. These “local sleep” events closely track lapses in attention and erratic performance during tasks. The study was led by Elaine Pinggal at Monash University. Researchers monitored volunteers’ brain activity with EEG during a sustained attention test, according to a press release published on EurekAlert.
The team compared 32 adults with ADHD—who had stopped taking their medication for at least 72 hours—with 31 neurotypical adults. Participants completed a task requiring them to press a key whenever the digit 3 did not appear on a screen. EEG recordings showed a higher density of slow brain waves in those with ADHD, similar to those seen during sleep. These slow waves spiked immediately before missed button presses. They were linked to inconsistent reaction times.
Sleep-related difficulties
The pattern fits with broader evidence that ADHD is frequently accompanied by sleep-related difficulties. These include a higher risk of sleep disorders and daytime sleepiness. The findings suggest a potential neural explanation for why many adults with ADHD struggle to sustain focus. Momentary, localized intrusions of sleep-like activity while awake may disrupt ongoing processing during attention-demanding tasks.
Approximately 2.5 percent of adults are affected by ADHD. These disruptions may contribute to the condition’s hallmark inattention and inhibitory control challenges. Statistical modeling indicated that the slow waves themselves were a specific mechanism underlying performance differences. The analysis pointed to a causal chain in which ADHD is associated with more frequent local sleep. Those episodes increase errors and undermine consistent attention and task performance.
The authors propose a potential avenue for future treatment studies. They suggest testing whether auditory stimulation delivered during nighttime sleep—which has been shown to enhance slow-wave activity in neurotypical individuals—could reduce the frequency of daytime sleep-like brain activity in people with ADHD. The idea is to modulate the quality or architecture of sleep at night. This might diminish the propensity for local sleep to emerge during wakefulness. It could support steadier attention and more reliable responses.