Sleep diary

A sleep diary with nighttime in the middle and the weekend in the middle, to better notice trends

A sleep diary is a record of an individual's sleeping and waking times, along with related information, usually maintained over a period of several weeks. It can be self-reported or recorded by a caregiver. Sleep diaries serve as a valuable tool for doctors and patients, assisting in the diagnosis and treatment of circadian rhythm sleep disorders and monitoring the success of treatment for various sleep disorders. Sleep diaries are often used in conjunction with actigraphy.

• In addition to its utility for medical professionals, a sleep diary can also help individuals become more aware of the factors affecting their sleep. This data can help people self-diagnose what contributes to their quality of sleep.

Components

• A sleep diary typically includes some or all of the following information:

The desired wake-up time The actual wake-up time

• How the person woke up (spontaneously, via alarm clock, or due to another disturbance)

The time the person got out of bed

• A brief description of how the person felt during the day (mood, drowsiness, etc.), often on a scale from 1 to 5, and the primary cause

The start and end times of any daytime naps and exercises The name, dosage, and time of any drugs used, including medication, sleep aids, caffeine, and alcohol The time and type/heaviness of the evening meal

• Activities during the last hour before bedtime (e.g., meditation, watching TV, playing computer games)
• Stress level before bedtime, often on a scale from 1 to 5, and the primary cause

The time the person tried to fall asleep The time the person believes sleep onset occurred

• Activities during the aforementioned two moments (e.g., keeping eyes closed, meditating)

The presumed cause, number, time, and duration of any nighttime awakenings and activities during these moments

• Quality of sleep
• Level of comfort of any recalled good or bad dreams

Data Collection

• Sleep logs are often hand-drawn on graph paper, with one week per page. Specialized software for creating sleep logs is also available, or spreadsheet or database software can be used. Online services can also be employed to track daily sleep patterns.

Sleep Diaries as an Assessment and Intervention Tool

• Sleep diaries play a crucial role in the assessment and treatment of insomnia. They help quantify the severity of a sleep disorder, provide valuable information for diagnosis, and guide intervention by tracking changes in sleep. Sleep diaries also measure treatment outcomes reliably and offer insight into the patient's adherence to a prescribed sleep schedule. Advantages of sleep diaries include their simplicity, cost-effectiveness, ease of use, and provision of critical information. Disadvantages include the possibility of patients providing inaccurate or incomplete data and the potential for scoring errors by clinicians.

Sample diaries

• Trinitas Regional Medical Center – hours horizontal, with shading
• Circadian Sleep Disorders Association – days run horizontal
• [1] – days run horizontal, basic outline

External links

• Sleeplessness and Circadian Rhythm Disorder — synopsis by Mary E. Cataletto, MD on eMedicine, August 2008
• Charts and analyses of sleep conditions — Dr Piotr Wozniak and Prof. Edward Gorzelanczyk, with link to SleepChart application (Windows)
• Printable sleep diary charts — An all white chart and a day/night chart, which can be printed and filled out.

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