The Sleep Opportunity, Need and Ability (SONA) Theory.

Area of Science:

• Sleep science
• Chronobiology
• Neuroscience

Background:

• Establishing precise individual sleep requirements remains challenging despite decades of research.
• Population-based sleep recommendations (7-9 hours) are too broad for personalized guidance.
• Current metrics like sleep opportunity (time in bed) and sleep ability (actual sleep duration) are insufficient alone.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce the Sleep Opportunity, Need, and Ability (SONA) theory.
• To provide a theoretical framework for understanding individual sleep dynamics.
• To highlight the clinical and theoretical value of the SONA model.

Main Methods:

• Conceptual development of the SONA theory.
• Integration of existing sleep research concepts.
• Framework for analyzing sleep health, insufficiency, and disorders.

Main Results:

• The SONA theory proposes a dynamic interplay between sleep opportunity, need, and ability.
• This integrated approach offers a more nuanced understanding than isolated metrics.
• The theory provides a basis for future research and clinical assessment.

Conclusions:

• The SONA theory offers a valuable new perspective on sleep health.
• It bridges the gap between subjective sleep need and objective sleep measures.
• This framework can enhance the diagnosis and management of sleep disorders.