The author's observations and a review of the literature lead him to conclude that sleeping or sleepiness during analysis is a regressive defense which reactivates primary conflicts over the wish to sleep. Analysis of this defense may result not only in better nocturnal sleep but also, for a while, increased sleeping during the analytic sessions. States of blankness, or 'nothing to talk about' are often defenses against a wish to sleep. The aim of the impulse is most easily determined by associations to the question, 'If you slept, how would you like to be wakened?' The state of waking is allied with omnipotent creative wishes and