Skip to main content
. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2015 Feb 11.
Published in final edited form as: Indian J Med Res. 2010 Feb;131:321–332.

Table III.

Instructions for sleep restriction therapy

  1. Establish an average total sleep time (TST) from 1-2 wk of daily sleep diaries.

  2. Establish a fixed wake time.

  3. Establish a sleep window by setting bedtime to allow for total sleep opportunity equal to TST from prior diaries (do not set sleep window < 4.5 h even if TST is shorter than this amount).

  4. Continue to keep weekly sleep diaries.

  5. Adjust the sleep window based on weekly sleep efficiency derived from the prior weeks sleep diaries
    • (a) If sleep efficiency (TST/sleep window) is ≥ 90%, increase sleep window by 15 min
    • (b) If sleep efficiency is < 90% and ≥ 85%, keep the sleep window unchanged.
    • (c) If sleep efficiency is < 85% decrease sleep window by 15 min.

  6. Continue daily sleep diaries and adjustments on a weekly basis until treatment completion.

  7. Patients may continue this on their own following treatment.