Experimental study on improvemnt of sleep difficulty using the model of hmomeostatic regulation of sleep

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The purpose of the present study was to experimentally examine whether mild sleep deprivation by restricting the time in bed allotted for sleep might drive the homeostatic sleep regulatory mechanism, resulting in improvement of sleep difficulties. Sleep restriction procedure, as partially modified from the original method (Spielman et al., 1987), was applied to university students who suffered from sleep difficulties. Analyses of sleep log and actigrams revealed that sleep restriction intervention was effective in improving wake-sleep circadian rhythm. Electroencephalographic delta band power (1-4 Hz) or slow wave sleep powerfully increased during early phases of sleep cycle, when sleep duration was restricted by delaying the bed time by 1, 2 or 3 hours later than baseline night. These results seem to support the hypothesis that homeostatic regulation of sleep might be enhanced through mild sleep deprivation produced at the beginning of sleep restriction therapy.