How does Sleep Restriction Therapy work? Testing the Triple-R theory as an explanation through computational modeling
Year: 2026
Type: preprint
Abstract: Sleep restriction therapy (SRT) is an effective treatment for insomnia, one of the most prevalent mental disorders today. The Triple-R theory has been proposed to explain the efficacy of SRT based on three processes: restricting time in bed, regulating sleep and wake times, and reconditioning of the bed-sleep association. However, based on the verbal theory alone it is difficult to determine whether the proposed processes explain the efficacy of SRT. In the current paper we test whether Triple-R theory explains the efficacy of SRT through computational modeling. Building on the productive explanation framework we (i) define empirical phenomena in sleep diary data before and after SRT; (ii) formalize the Triple-R theory as a computational model; (iii) test whether the empirical phenomena are reproduced by the model. We show that our computational Triple-R model reproduces most data patterns observed in empirical studies. Therefore, we conclude that the Triple-R theory provides a partial explanation of the efficacy of SRT. Moreover, our proposed Triple-R model makes predictions that can guide new clinical trials and provides a better understanding of the mechanisms of SRT.
Source: PsyArXiv (OSF Preprints)
Language: English
Topic: Sleep and related disorders
Subfield: Experimental and Cognitive Psychology
Field: Psychology
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W7213370220