Drivers using a sleeper berth must take at least 8 hours in the sleeper berth, and may split the sleeper berth time into two periods provided neither is less than 2 hours. All sleeper berth pairings MUST add up to at least 8 hours.

Under the current U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) Hours of Service (HOS) regulations for 2026, property-carrying commercial drivers must typically spend at least 7 consecutive hours in the sleeper berth to count toward a "split" of their mandatory 10-hour off-duty period. The "sleeper berth provision" allows drivers to split their rest into two segments: one must be at least 7 hours long (spent entirely in the berth), and the other must be at least 2 hours long (spent either in the berth or off-duty). Together, these two segments must total 10 hours. In early 2026, the FMCSA launched a Flexible Sleeper Berth Pilot Program which allows some participating drivers to use more varied splits, such as 6/4 or 5/5, to study if increased flexibility reduces driver fatigue. However, for most non-participating drivers, the 7/3 or 8/2 splits remain the legal standard to "pause" the 14-hour on-duty clock.