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Sleep Onset Latency Control

Meaning

Sleep Onset Latency Control is the clinical and behavioral management of the time interval required for an individual to transition from full, conscious wakefulness to the very first stage of non-REM sleep (N1). Optimal control aims for a latency period that is neither excessively prolonged, which is indicative of clinical insomnia or hyperarousal, nor too short, which often suggests a significant underlying sleep debt. This specific metric is a key indicator of the functional efficiency of the central sleep-wake regulatory system and is profoundly influenced by the precise timing of melatonin release and the drop in core body temperature.