Sleep Diaries: The Benefits and How to Use Them

Last updated 8 months ago

When you can’t get the sleep you need, finding the source of the problem and making appropriate behavioral changes may be the answer. A sleep diary is often an integral part of visiting a sleep lab, helping you and your doctor evaluate your sleeping and waking habits in order to pinpoint the cause of your problem.

Benefits of a Sleep Diary
If you’re having problems sleeping, a sleep diary will allow your doctor to evaluate the factors that may be contributing to your difficulty. It can be hard to simply remember things like your day-to-day sleep schedule, the quality of sleep you get, your caffeine intake, and your degree of wakefulness during the day. A sleep diary logs all of these factors in one place for use as a diagnostic tool. A diary can be used not only to diagnose a sleep problem, but also to monitor your response to different treatments to find what works best for you.

How to Keep a Sleep Diary
When keeping a sleep diary, there are a few key things you should record:

The time you go to bed each night and approximately how long it took to fall asleep.
Your quality of sleep, either based on a scale your sleep doctor provides or on your own personal scale, as long as you’re consistent.
The time you wake up each day and how you feel. Do you feel rested, or still sleepy? Did your alarm or a noise wake you up, or did you wake up naturally?
Whether you take any naps, how long they are, and whether they make you feel rested.
A general itinerary of your daily activities and meals, including sources of caffeine and what time you had them.

If you’re experiencing problems falling asleep, staying asleep, or feeling tired during the day, consider the benefits of a sleep study for improved wakefulness and concentration. Your sleep diary will help your doctor at Comfort Sleep quickly and accurately diagnose your sleeping problem to get you the restful sleep you need. Visit us online or call (732) 455-3030 to learn more.