If you are not sleeping well, a sleep diary can help you understand what is going on. It’s a simple but powerful tool for tracking your sleep habits and daily routines that may be affecting your rest. Sleep professionals often recommend keeping a diary before diagnosing or treating a sleep problem.
What is a sleep diary?
A sleep diary is a daily log of your sleep schedule and related activities. It helps track when you go to bed, how long it takes to fall asleep, how often you wake up at night and what time you wake up in the morning. You also log daily factors such as caffeine or alcohol use, medications, exercise and naps.
By reviewing this information, you can spot patterns and better understand your sleep behavior.
How to keep a sleep diary
To get the most out of a sleep diary, try to fill it out every morning for about two weeks. Within an hour of waking up, fill in the details about the previous night. Try to be consistent and honest with your entries. If something unusual happens, such as an illness or a stressful event, you can make a brief note.
Typical sleep diary entries include:
- Bedtime and wake time
- Time it took to fall asleep
- Number of nighttime awakenings and how long they lasted
- Final wake-up time and when you got out of bed
- Quality of sleep
- Caffeine, alcohol and medication use
- Exercise and nap times
- Type of day (workday, weekend, day off)
Why is a sleep diary helpful?
A sleep diary can reveal patterns you may not notice otherwise, such as staying in bed too long while awake, drinking caffeine too late or having an inconsistent sleep schedule. It is especially useful for diagnosing insomnia and is often used alongside cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I).
The sleep diary, which documents sleep-wake patterns, can also help diagnose and manage circadian rhythm sleep-wake disorders. Circadian rhythm disorders disrupt the body’s natural internal sleep-wake clock. Analyzing the sleep diary can help to identify patterns of irregular sleep-wake cycles and help to determine effective interventions for adjusting sleep schedules.
Tips for success
- Use a printable or digital diary. You can find a free one here.
- Paper or app? Choose the method that feels easiest to stick with.
- Be consistent. Aim to complete it every day, including weekends.
- Keep it accurate. You do not need exact times. Your best estimate is fine.
When to get help for a sleep problem
If you are having trouble sleeping, starting a sleep diary is a smart first step. It helps you track your sleep patterns and daily habits so you can see what might be affecting your rest. Filling it out each morning for at least two weeks can help you spot patterns in your sleep schedule.
You can begin a sleep diary on your own, even before talking to a doctor. Bringing it with you to an appointment can make that conversation more productive. It provides valuable information that may help guide the next steps, whether that’s lifestyle changes, a referral to a sleep center or further testing.
If your sleep has been poor for more than a month, or if you feel very tired during the day, it is time to talk to your doctor. You should also seek help if you fall asleep while driving or if someone has told you that you snore or stop breathing during sleep. These could be signs of a sleep disorder that needs treatment.
Use the AASM’s sleep center directory to connect with the sleep team at an accredited sleep center near you. You can also view helpful tips for healthy sleep to start improving your sleep habits today.
Medical review by Dionne Morgan, MBBS, FCCP
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