Can't Sleep? Time to Start a Sleep Diary

If there’s one thing that excites us, it’s a high-quality night of shut-eye. Contrary to what you might think, a lot of people are plagued with problems that can lead to sleep deprivation.

According to the Sleep Foundation, over one-third of adults sleep less than 7 hours per night⁽¹⁾. This shows how sleep-deprived we are, considering the sweet spot for good quality sleep is 7 to 9 hours.

Why should we be worried about these numbers? When you upgrade your sleep, you automatically upgrade your entire life. Sleep has a huge impact on our overall well-being, which many people tend to overlook. Good quality sleep has so many benefits for your health, ranging from the mental to the physical. 

Sleep deprivation can seriously impact your brain's health. Studies have shown a definitive link between lack of quality sleep and your brain's overall performance. Lack of sleep can lead to poor productivity, decreased concentration, lower memory and retention. It can even inhibit your general learning ability.

In terms of physical aspects, lack of sleep can significantly affect hormone production, and by extension, your appetite. It's also bad for your heart, increasing your chances of having high blood pressure due to your body struggling to regulate circulation. Studies have also linked sleep deprivation to health problems such as type 2 diabetes, obesity, stroke, and more. In fact, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that adults who are short-sleepers are more likely to encounter chronic health issues compared to those who are getting 8 hours of sleep (or more!) per 24-hour period⁽²⁾.

These are all great reasons to strive to get healthy sleep. We can’t wait to discuss a sleep diary with you. 

If there’s a proven way to sleep better, we want to share it, and keeping a sleep diary could be the hassle-free solution you’ve been looking for.

Let’s not waste another second. Get ready to discover the sleep diary: the straightforward and free tool that could save your sleep. It’ll put you on the right path to better sleep health and greater productivity!

Here's what this article covers:

What Is a Sleep Diary Anyway?

Have you ever heard of a sleep diary? Most of us haven’t, or we’d all be snoozing away by now.

A sleep diary records of your sleep patterns and habits. Unlike expensive sleep trackers, It's a no-frills, low-cost, low-tech and super-easy way to monitor your sleep. This includes total hours of sleep, possible disruptions, potential patterns, and more.

The idea is that you or your doctor can analyze the contents of your sleep diary to determine what’s causing the underlying problem. And get you on the right track to consistently sleeping better. It can even be a means of preparing for a sleep study, a test that diagnoses sleep disorders.

If you’re recording everything and still can’t nail down the culprit, get your doctor involved. It can help you get on the right track.

Do You Need to Track Your Sleep in a Sleep Log?

To put it simply, if you’re constantly tired and not sure what’s causing your sleepless nights, a sleep diary could be just the thing you need. Think of it as Sherlock Holmes for your sleep. It's a great way to backtrack and recall anything that can impact your sleep in an organized and logical manner.

Tracking your sleep is an ideal step forward if you experience any of the following and don’t know why:

• You take a long time to fall asleep

• You wake up during the night

• You don’t feel rested in the morning

• Your energy levels are low throughout the day

• You feel tired all the time

• You have inconsistent sleep cycles or schedules

The Healthy Benefits of Keeping a Sleep Journal or Diary

So, what’s all the fuss about? What will a sleep diary do for you?

We’re about to break down the 4 key benefits of tracking your sleep!

Sometimes we can’t get to the root of a problem unless it’s staring us in the face.

A sleep diary will shine a light on habits and behaviors you think are normal but might be the cause of your sleep problems. You might have little quirks that you overlook in your struggle to get a better night's sleep. But they may prove of interest to your doctor. It's best to list them all down in your sleep diary!

When you change your usual routine you’ll have a clear record of your sleep patterns and progress.

If you suspect what's causing your restless nights, or have been diagnosed by a sleep medicine specialist, having a sleep diary will help clarify which tactics are working and which ones can be abandoned. Think of it as a sleep optimizer!

Sometimes we only need to compare results from different tactics and methods we've tried. Doing so helps narrow down which ones are most effective, and which ones don't work. This will help save you a great deal of time and effort, pointing you in the right direction backed by your actual data.

Don’t waste another cent on sleeping pills, fancy gadgets promising you a night of quality rest, or other unproven methods. Different methods or "cures" apply to different people, and these may not work well for you. These are also sometimes quick fixes, promising a temporary "cure" without discovering the root cause first.

A sleep diary is free and allows you to find the underlying issue stopping you from sleeping well. Compared to other methods of getting better sleep, it's also more helpful for doctors and health practitioners who are helping you get those zzzs.

How to Get Your Sleep Journal Started

Okay, now that you’re sold on the idea of a sleep diary, we’ll help you get started.

First up, get yourself a fresh notebook or create a digital space to record your bedtime behavior. Remember that a physical notebook might be easier to hand to a doctor or sleep specialist. Plus taking digital notes before you sleep exposes you to gadgets and the blue light they emit. Blue light is another deterrent to quickly falling (and staying) asleep.

Keep your sleep diary somewhere that's visible and easily accessible to you, such as your bedside table. Having it within easy reach will remind you to fill it in daily.

Take notes consistently. This means noting sleep-related details every single day for at least 2 weeks. This time frame can help establish any patterns and provide you or your doctor with ample information to draw any substantiated conclusions about your sleep cycles.

Your sleep diary aims to determine if you’re doing anything that could be hindering high-quality sleep. For that reason, you’ll need to track several factors.

• In your sleep diary, write down the time you go to bed and the time you wake up the next morning.

• Include approximately how long it took to fall asleep and whether you woke up at all during the night. If so, note what caused you to wake up. Was it an unexpected noise? An urge to snack? Or stressing over a work problem?

• If you keep waking up during the night, approximately how long does it take you to fall asleep again?

• Rate the quality of your sleep, whether it was restful or too shallow. You can do this on a scale of 1 to 5, with 5 being the best slumber on record.

• Add any good or bad dreams that may have disturbed your sleep.

• Remember to write down whether you felt rested or tired in the morning. Add further detail if possible.

• Record what you ate for dinner in your sleep diary. It's also important to take note of what time you last ate since it can have an effect on what time you manage to get to sleep.

• Jot down any medication or stimulants, such as caffeine, alcohol, or non-prescription drugs taken that day. Again, note the time you drank these. Caffeine, for example, can stay in your system for hours, and directly impact sleepiness.

• Did you exercise at all? Was it in the morning, outdoors? Or just in the afternoon? Put it in the sleep diary!

In addition to the above, add any other personal details you think might be helpful. No detail is too small for your sleep diary! For example:

• Does your partner snore? Or are they a restless sleeper?

• Does your bedroom let in too much light? Do you have a lot of electronic devices in your bedroom?

• Is there any ongoing construction outside your home? Or do you live on a busy street?

• Do you have a suspected allergy?

• Has work been stressful lately?

• Has the weather been unusually hot or cold?

Start Writing in Your Sleep Diary!

Disclaimer:  The information contained in this website or provided through our blog, e-mails, or programs is for informational purposes only. It is not intended to be a substitute for medical advice, diagnosis or treatment that can be provided by your healthcare professionals.