Understanding maladaptive daydreaming (and 8 ways to treat it)
Clinically reviewed by Dr. Chris Mosunic, PhD, RD, CDCES, MBA
There's a difference between daydreaming and maladaptive daydreaming. Learn the difference, common causes and symptoms, plus tests and treatments available.
Daydreaming is a common experience—it's a moment when our thoughts drift away to a pleasant scenario or a hopeful future. But when daydreaming starts taking over your life, disrupting your work, and affecting your relationships, it becomes a concern. This intense form of daydreaming is known as maladaptive daydreaming. It's a condition that can weave such intricate, engaging stories in your mind that they start to feel almost real.
Explore what maladaptive daydreaming is, its symptoms and impact on your health, and learn ways to effectively find a balance between imagination and reality.
What is maladaptive daydreaming?
Maladaptive daydreaming isn't just a brief escape from reality. It’s a world of vivid imagination where the stories are so engaging and detailed that they can take over thoughts. This kind of daydreaming is different from the usual kind that most people experience from time to time. It's more intense, can last longer, and often has a story or characters that feel very real.
When someone is experiencing maladaptive daydreaming, they might show physical signs without realizing it. These signs can include making facial expressions, moving their hands, or even talking to themselves. These daydreams are not just thoughts—they can feel like actual experiences.
Maladaptive daydreaming can be so absorbing that it makes it hard to focus on work, school, or social activities. It can even interfere with your ability to interact with others. This type of daydreaming often happens in response to real-world triggers like music, movies, or personal experiences. It can be a way to escape stress, boredom, or other uncomfortable feelings.
Maladaptive daydreaming is something that can affect people of all ages, but it's often seen in those who experience conditions like anxiety, ADHD, or depression. Younger people who have active imaginations and are going through many changes in their lives may also find themselves more prone to this condition.
While daydreaming can be normal, if it starts to take over, it’s time to address it and bring balance back to your thoughts and daily life.
How maladaptive daydreaming affects health
Maladaptive daydreaming can be intense. It may affect your health and wellbeing and impact your daily life in ways you might not initially realize. If you’re experiencing these effects, consider seeking support or exploring ways to reduce the intensity of daydreaming.
Disruption in social activities: One of the significant impacts of maladaptive daydreaming is how it affects social interactions. You can find yourself so caught up in daydreams that you miss out on conversations, activities, or events happening around you. Not being present in your interactions can lead to feelings of isolation and difficulty in maintaining relationships. When your mind is constantly elsewhere, engaging with friends, family, or colleagues can become challenging.
Poor sleep quality: A good night's sleep is essential for health, but for someone experiencing maladaptive daydreaming, falling and staying asleep can be difficult. Vivid and engaging daydreams can keep the mind active, even at night, leading to disrupted sleep patterns. A lack of restful sleep may have a ripple effect, causing tiredness and a lack of focus during the day.
Interference in work or school: Maladaptive daydreaming can affect your performance at work or school. Compulsive daydreams can make it hard to concentrate on tasks—when the mind is constantly pulled away into a daydream, completing assignments or paying attention in meetings becomes a challenge. If you are experiencing decreased productivity, it might affect academic or professional success.
Feelings of shame and guilt: People who experience maladaptive daydreaming may feel embarrassed or ashamed about the amount of time they spend in their daydream world. This can lead to feelings of guilt, especially if they believe they’re neglecting their responsibilities or relationships. It's a challenging cycle, as these feelings might cause further stress and trigger more daydreaming as a form of escape.
5 symptoms of maladaptive daydreaming
Identifying maladaptive daydreaming can be tricky, because daydreaming is a normal part of life for many people. However, there are specific signs that help distinguish maladaptive daydreaming from regular daydreaming. Recognizing these symptoms can be the first step in addressing maladaptive daydreaming.
1. Triggered by real experiences
Maladaptive daydreaming is often set off by real-life events or stimuli. For example, hearing a certain song, watching a movie, or experiencing a particular emotion can trigger an intense and elaborate daydream. These triggers lead to daydreams that are more vivid and detailed than typical, passing thoughts.
2. Unconscious facial expressions and movements
While daydreaming, people may display facial expressions or make movements that they're not aware of. These can include smiling, frowning, whispering, or even moving their hands as if they're interacting with someone in their daydream. These physical expressions are outward signs of the intense, immersive nature of their daydreams.
3. Repetitive body movements
Physical movements are another symptom of maladaptive daydreaming. This might look like pacing back and forth, rocking, or other repetitive actions while lost in a daydream. These movements can be a way of physically manifesting the daydream or helping to stay immersed in it.
4. Trouble sleeping
The intense nature of maladaptive daydreams can keep the mind overly active, making it hard to relax and fall asleep. Not sleeping well can lead to a cycle of tiredness and further daydreaming as you seek a mental escape from fatigue.
5. Long periods of daydreaming
Unlike normal daydreaming, which is typically brief and fleeting, maladaptive daydreaming can last for longer periods and sometimes hours at a time. Extended duration of daydreaming is a key indicator and can lead to significant disruptions in daily life.
Tests and treatments for maladaptive daydreaming
While there's no specific test to diagnose maladaptive daydreaming, understanding its impact and seeking ways to manage it can make a significant difference.
1. Establish a regular sleep routine
Good sleep is crucial for mental health. Set a regular bedtime and wake-up time, and create a relaxing bedtime routine. Having a schedule can help calm your mind and reduce the intensity of daydreaming, especially at night.
Try this: Set your bedtime and wake-up time every day (e.g. 10 pm to 6 am). Before bed, you might spend 30 minutes doing something relaxing, like reading a book, taking a warm bath, or listening to a body scan meditation.
💙 Unwind from the day and Quiet the Mind and Body with a body scan to help you settle into sleep.
2. Practice mindfulness and meditation
Incorporate mindfulness exercises and meditation into your daily routine. These practices help you stay focused on the present moment, reducing the urge to slip into daydreams. Regular meditation can help improve concentration and mental clarity.
Try this: You could start with a simple 10-minute meditation each morning. Sit in a quiet place, focus on your breathing, and when your mind begins to wander, gently bring it back to your breath.
💙 Try our Mindfulness for Beginners series, a simple 30-day program with 10-minute sessions to help you ease into a meditation practice.
3. Limit triggers
Identify what triggers your maladaptive daydreams—like certain types of places, movies, or situations—and try to limit your exposure to them. Limiting your triggers can help in reducing the frequency of daydreams.
Try this: If you find that listening to music often triggers your daydreams, try to reduce the time you spend listening to music or switch to genres that are less likely to trigger daydreams.
4. Stay physically active
Engage in regular physical activity. Exercise can boost overall mental health and can also be a great way to keep your mind engaged and focused, reducing the time available for daydreaming.
Try this: Find a type of physical activity you enjoy, like a 30-minute walk every day or a dance class three times a week.
💙 If you’re stuck in an exercise rut, explore Moving for Fun. You don’t have to take yourself, or your movement, too seriously.
5. Create a support system
Share your experiences, and how they are affecting you, with friends or family members. Having a support system can provide emotional support and help you feel less isolated which can ease your need to drift into daydreams.
Try this: You could set up regular check-ins with someone you trust to talk about your progress and challenges.
6. Use a journal
Keep a journal to track your daydreams. Writing about your experiences can offer insights into patterns and triggers, and it can be a constructive way to express your thoughts and emotions.
Try this: Dedicate 10 minutes each evening to write in a journal. Record when you daydream, what triggered it, and how long it lasted.
💙 Check out Calm’s Daily Gratitude Journal to track your daily thoughts, feelings, and what you’re grateful for.
7. Set daily goals
Set small, achievable goals for each day. Having a clear set of tasks can keep you focused and provide a sense of accomplishment within your reality, which can reduce the urge to daydream.
Try this: Set a goal to complete a work project, do laundry, or call a friend. Having specific tasks to focus on can help keep your mind engaged and reduce the time you spend daydreaming.
💙 Small goals are still worthy of being celebrated. Take a moment to recognize your Small Achievements with the Daily Calm.
8. Seek professional help
If maladaptive daydreaming is significantly impacting your life, consider talking to a mental health professional.
Try this: You could book an appointment with a therapist who specializes in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). They can help you identify what triggers daydreaming and develop strategies to control it, like learning to redirect your thoughts.
Maladaptive daydreaming FAQs
What are the symptoms of maladaptive daydreaming?
Maladaptive daydreaming has several symptoms that make it different from regular daydreaming. These include daydreams that are set off by things happening around you, like a song or a scene in a movie. You might also notice unconscious facial expressions or movements—like smiling or moving your hands—while daydreaming. Another symptom is repetitive body movements, such as pacing or rocking. Trouble sleeping is common because the intense daydreams can keep your mind too active at bedtime. Lastly, maladaptive daydreaming tends to last much longer than typical daydreams, often consuming large portions of your day.
Is maladaptive daydreaming a mental illness?
Maladaptive daydreaming isn't officially classified as a mental illness. However, it's a psychological phenomenon that can have a big impact on your daily life and mental health. It can disrupt your work, sleep, and social interactions. Understanding and managing this condition is important for maintaining a healthy balance between your daydreams and real life.
Is maladaptive daydreaming an ADHD thing?
Maladaptive daydreaming isn't exclusive to ADHD, but people with ADHD might be more prone to it. Those with ADHD might find themselves slipping into daydreams more easily or frequently, but it's important to remember that maladaptive daydreaming can affect anyone, regardless of whether they have ADHD or not.
Is it bad to use daydreaming as a coping mechanism?
Using daydreaming as a coping mechanism isn't necessarily bad. It's a natural way for many people to take a mental break or work through emotions. However, when daydreaming becomes excessive and starts to interfere with your daily life, it’s known as maladaptive daydreaming, which can be problematic. If you find daydreaming takes up a lot of your time or causes you to miss out on important things in life, it might be time to manage it more effectively. Balance is key to maintaining both a healthy imagination and a productive, fulfilling life.
Calm your mind. Change your life.
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