Our brains can “flicker” off for a split second during a boring task caused by sleep-like brain activity occurring while we are awake. Adults with ADHD experience them much more frequently, and may be behind inconsistent attention, slower reaction times, and chronic sleepiness associated with ADHD.
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The Awake “Sleep” Loop: Why Attention Lapses Occur in ADHD
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.
For those interested, here’s the link to the peer reviewed journal article:
https://www.jneurosci.org/content/early/2026/03/05/JNEUROSCI.1694-25.2025
I have adhd, and it sounds so bad but on routine drives like to and from work. I’ll Auto pilot the whole drive. Things like someone infront of me jamming their brakes will snap me out of it. And I’ll realize I wasn’t all there for the drive.
Hmm… so the ADHD brain wants to go into power save mode prematurely.
We have miraculous drugs that force us out of power save settings, but risk crashing out hard as a consequence, if we’re not mindful.
These “flickers” are more likely when you are tired, and disordered sleep is a big part of ADHD. Doesn’t seem like the causal direction is clear here.
Oh yeah I do this constantly
I wonder what could the relationship be between this and the Cerebrospinal fluid flush-metabolic waste clearance that happens to the brain during sleep deprived states (which also coincides with lapses of zoning out)
This is how I unintentionally turn a 2 hour drive into a 1 hour drive…
Is this what is happening when I am forced to pay attention to just one thing and get hella tired? Like in class I would doodle as well as listen but teachers would assume I wasn’t and only be happy if I’m deadlocked on them. I would almost immediately get tired and start nodding off.
Glad to know my “blue screening” is backed by science.
More and more, I have times where I basically lose all attention and just “blue screen” for a moment where I miss part of what someone was saying and momentarily forget what I was doing.
This happens me all the time if I let my mind wander during the day. I will go from completely lucid to half asleep and unless I snap myself out of it I will power nap for 20-30 minutes.
I wonder if this is related to how stimulant medications reduce inattentiveness?
This could potentially help explain why stimulant medication works for ADHD users but produces anxiety/overstimulation for neurotypical. If stimulants are doing something with the brain stems maintenance of cortical activation via norepinephrine support. It might also isolate a more specific type of ADHD that can be used in differential diagnosis. Very interesting.
It also potentially explains why atomoxetine, a purely norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor with no dopamine action, works at all for ADHD. The dopamine narrative never fully accountes for that.
I feel and notice this while reading especially.
Ill read three sentences, blank one, read 2-5 more, blank a couple, and this repeats.
Flickering is a very apt description
I notice it the most when I drive, read or listen to podcasts. My brain just goes into auto pilot mode. It’s not only when I’m tired either. It’s pretty much always.
I spent the first 24 years of my life begging everyone around me for clarity. Any kind of mental clarity. Stimulants changed the entire game, I can do laundry and go to work without feeling like I had an unwilling micronap in between.
People have no idea how fixable ADHD can be
Yeah no kidding, I noticed this when playing Vampire Survivors where stopping moving for a second or two can result in death. When playing tired I’d just zone out for a couple seconds and be dead. Most the games I play are sim/factory genre so it doesn’t matter.
We are victims in dodgeball.
I have inattentive ADHD and to me this is known as ‘Intrusive sleep’. I get very heavy eyes when im being taught how to do something I’m not interested in and would have to fight to stay awake. It would get to the point where the only way to manage it while unmedicated was to stand up and walk around. As a child it’d happen a lot in school and nowadays its when I’m when I’m learning the rules to boardgames. It’s much more managable now that I’m medicated, but its never really going to stop happening.
Every 4-8 seconds during every task and every interaction.
Most of my complete sentences only appear as such because I still had the words queued up. I’ve already forgot the meaning behind them by the time they’re spoken.
My entire life is based around managing rapidly forgetting and remembering.
I have adhd , definitely a thing .. they called it day Dreaming once I guess everything gets rediscovered eventually