Insomnia is a common sleep disorder that makes it difficult for a person to fall or stay asleep or getting good quality sleep. Insomnia can cause trouble in your daily activities and may make you feel tired and sleepy during the day.
Many people suffer from insomnia because of poor pre sleep habits. Maintaining a sleep diary helps to identify such habits and rectify the underlying cause of insomnia.
A sleep diary allows individuals to track their sleep patterns, habits, and lifestyle factors systematically. By recording details such as bedtime, wake time; sleep quality, and activities before bed, a sleep diary helps identify underlying triggers or patterns contributing to insomnia. This information is invaluable for healthcare providers in diagnosing insomnia accurately and tailoring treatment plans.
A sample sleep diary is attached below.
INSTRUCTIONS FOR FILLING UP THE DIARY:
1. Mark ‘W’ when you wake up in the morning.
2. Mark ‘W’ for the time you have been awake during the day (You can fill this column at the end of the day prior to going to bed for sleep at night) (e.g. If you sleep at 2 am in the night keep marking ‘W” until you retire to bed for sleep).
3. Shade the box (any color you want, you can use a pen or a pencil) at the time of going to bed to sleep at night. If you sleep in the afternoon then shade the box at the time of going to bed in the afternoon.
4. Mark ‘W’ when you cannot fall asleep even after an hour of going to bed at night/afternoon or wake up at night/afternoon and cannot fall asleep even after an hour. Keep marking ‘W’ for every hour you cannot fall asleep.
5. Mark ‘M’ when you take any medication.
6. Mark ‘A’ whenever you take alcohol.
7. Mark ‘T’ whenever you have tea/coffee in the evening (6PM onwards).
8. Mark ‘F’ whenever you have Lunch/Dinner.
9. Mark ‘E’ whenever you exercise.
10. The blank boxes will give the duration you have slept.
