Sleepwell supported · human dataDiscovery of the day
Pooled results from nine randomised trials in 1239 adults found that sleep restriction therapy on its own reduced insomnia severity, shortened the time to fall asleep and improved sleep efficiency, sleep quality and time awake during the night, while cutting total sleep time as the treatment intends. At follow-up the gains in insomnia severity, sleep efficiency and night-time waking held, but faster sleep onset did not.
- Study design
- Meta-analysis
- Journal
- J Sleep Res
- Evidence
- well supported
What it shows: About as solid as insomnia evidence gets in the short term: results pooled from nine trials in 1239 adults all pointed the same way. The wrinkle is durability, since the benefit for falling asleep faster had faded by longer follow-up and total sleep time drops at first by design.Meta-analysis · J Sleep Res
The Effect of Single-Component Sleep Restriction Therapy for Insomnia in Adults: A Meta-Analysis of Randomised Controlled Trials. J Sleep Res 2026Read the study →