Sleep Compression

Poor sleep accompanied by little daytime impairment suggests that enough sleep has been obtained to satisfy biologic need. Decreasing wake time in bed, not increasing sleep, becomes the primary therapeutic goal. There is insufficient experience with this method to recommend its preferred use with a type of insomnia (e.g., primary vs comorbid, midlife vs late life) or with a particular pattern of wakefulness (e.g., onset vs maintenance). However, sleep compression does use an incremental approach to decreasing time in bed, as compared to abrupt contraction in the method of sleep restriction, and sleep compression may be better tolerated by individuals who are experiencing daytime fatigue or mild sleepiness, or who may be sensitive to abrupt alteration of their time in bed pattern.