Skip to main content

Sleep Homeostasis Maintenance

Meaning

The physiological regulatory process that ensures the appropriate balance between the need for sleep (sleep drive) and the duration and intensity of sleep achieved, operating independently of the circadian clock. Maintenance involves the precise management of the sleep-wake cycle’s regulatory substance, often conceptualized as adenosine, to guarantee sufficient restorative pressure and sleep continuity. Clinical efforts in maintenance aim to prevent sleep fragmentation and optimize the total time spent in restorative sleep stages.