Why bother keeping a sleep diary?

Did you sleep well? If not, do you know why?

Keeping a sleep diary will allow you to find patterns in your sleep habits. For example, you may find, for example, that you sleep better after a meal high in carbohydrates rather than one that is high in protein.

Or you may find that a short nap in the middle of the day keeps you awake at night. Others may find the opposite: a nap during the day helps them sleep better at night.

Only by keeping a regular record of the things that affect your sleep will you be able to identify and avoid “sleep thieves” that you may not have previously been aware of. It only takes a few minutes a day and can pay dividends over time if you don’t sleep well.

So what kinds of things should we write in our dream journal? Well, the most important ones are:

Naps: Record any naps during the day, even the five minutes you sleep in front of the TV. Also record the time of day you napped.

Dinner: What did you eat for dinner and at what time?

Coffee / tea or any other caffeinated beverage – How many and what time was the last?

Alcohol – Did you have any alcoholic beverages today? When and how many?

Relaxation: did you practice any relaxation exercises during the day? For how long and at what time?

Medications: What medications (sleeping or other) did you take in the last part of the day?

Activities: what happened today? Was it a normal day for you or did something out of the ordinary happen? What were you doing before going to bed?

In bed – Did you read or watch TV in bed? What time did you turn off the lights?

And the next morning take note of the following:

How long did it take you to fall asleep last night?

How many times did you wake up?

What time did you get out of bed?

What was the quality of your sleep?

It may seem a bit complicated at first, but with practice you can do it quite quickly. Over time, you will notice that a definite pattern emerges that will allow you to isolate activities or eating habits that have a negative impact on your sleep. It can be reading or watching television in bed, or it can also be alcoholic beverages after dinner. Then you can take steps to eliminate or reduce these activities to achieve better sleep.

Copyright 2006 Wendy Owen