People were in slow-wave sleep for between five and 40 minutes, and the effect was strongest for those who slept for longest.
Dr Katherina Hauner, of the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, who led the study, said: "It's a novel finding. We showed a small but significant decrease in fear.
"If it can be extended to pre-existing fear, the bigger picture is that, perhaps, the treatment of phobias can be enhanced during sleep."
She said phobias would be the most obvious area to pursue, as cues tended to be relatively simple, compared with the more complex post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
And she said much more research was needed to fully understand the effects this therapy could have.
"This was just one day. We really need to see if it can last weeks, months or years."
Jennifer Wild, consultant clinical psychologist at the King's College London Institute of Psychiatry, said: "The sleep study is excellent and has implications for treating phobias and stress disorders, such as post-traumatic stress, where there are a whole range of cues.
"Many people who have survived traumatic events, such as fires or road traffic accidents, have a physiological fear response to triggers of their memories.
"Triggers often include smells, such as smoke, petrol, antiseptic smells and alcohol. Infusing these smells during periods of slow-wave sleep could help to extinguish the fear response."
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