The invention provides compositions and methods for treatment of sleep disorders. Such methods entail administering to the patient a therapeutically effective dosage regime of an agonist of a hypocretin 1 (Hcrt-1) receptor to a peripheral tissue of the patient, and monitoring the condition of the patient responsive to the treatment, wherein the monitoring indicates a reduction in excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS) and an improvement in nighttime sleep consolidation and architecture. The methods are particularly useful for prophylactic and therapeutic treatment of one or more sleep disorders in a patient.