01/01/2026
Intrusive sleep, also known as “sudden sleep attacks” (similar to narcolepsy), is a lesser known symptom of ADHD and is characterized by sudden, overwhelming drowsiness and sleep onset, especially during less engaging activities.
This contrasts with normal sleep patterns and can truly be disruptive to daily life and most people who do experience this have no idea why it’s even happening or that it is actually a common ADHD symptom.
This intrusive sleep often occurs when the individuals is disengaged from an activity and goes into an almost “trance” like state before becoming exceptionally drowsy.
If this happens to you, keep a log of the activities or situations that trigger sleepiness and try to adjust or avoid those triggers. If you find yourself crashing out at your desk, a standing desk can help a great deal. If you’re not able to get a standing desk, try taking a 2 minute break every 45 minutes and do 15-20 body weight squats to “reactivate” your brain.
As a life-long ADHD sufferer myself, I find this happens to me most commonly when I am driving long distances so I am sure to plot out places to stop and walk around often (every hour or so) to ensure I am getting my blood flowing again and to prevent falling asleep while driving…which has happened to me several times before I knew what was happening, why it was happening, and created a personalized game plan for myself to stop and walk. Whatever your trigger is, do whatever you can to make a game plan to ensure you’re staying awake and not putting your life or job at risk!
PMID: 30588139
