Sleep Diary: Track Your Sleep and Finally Get A Better Night's Sleep

What are the benefits of keeping a sleep diary?

A good night's sleep is important for our performance and well-being. However, it is not always easy for us to get enough sleep. Pressure and stress at work or in our private lives often affect the quality of our sleep, as these can lead to racing thoughts at night. The resulting sleep deprivation is noticeable the next morning at the latest. We get up tired and listless instead of feeling full of energy. Relaxed nights are simply not possible with such a negative mental spiral. Excessive stress can even cause some people to have serious sleep problems: Either they have trouble falling asleep or they keep waking up from their sleep. The good news is that keeping a sleep diary can help you get to the bottom of your sleep problems. 

Swap spinning thoughts for restful sleep by using your notes to research the cause: why do you lack energy in the morning and feel chronically tired? Many factors can be behind a performance slump, and it is not always due to a sleep deficit. By recording your sleep routine, you can recognize patterns that influence the quality of your night's sleep.  For example, keeping a sleep diary may reveal that stimulants such as alcohol and coffee are responsible for your difficulty falling asleep. Or maybe a late meal is prolonging the time it takes you to fall asleep. A diary helps us uncover these habits and recognize connections that we often don't notice in everyday life because our heads are constantly full of other things.  

The benefits of keeping a sleep diary if you have sleep problems

Do you know how many hours of sleep you get on average? If you don't own a smartwatch or fitness bracelet, you often don't have a clear idea of your own sleep patterns.  In addition, we humans tend to attribute every feeling of emerging tiredness to too little sleep. As a result, many of us assume we sleep less than we actually do. To sleep better and get a better idea of your own sleep patterns, a sleep diary can be useful.  

Sleep diaries have many advantages: 

• They give you a realistic estimate of your sleep duration. 
• If you keep a regular diary, you will enjoy a pleasant reassurance when you realize that you usually do get enough sleep. 
• On nights with poor or disturbed sleep, you can use your notes to find a more beneficial routine for yourself. 
• You will discover hidden factors that you would not have intuitively associated with poor sleep. For example, you may notice that you always sleep badly when you see news that upset you. 
• Thanks to the diary, you can easily check whether your measures for improvement are having an effect. 
• You gain valuable information that helps you personally get a good night's sleep. 
• Filling it out in the evening and morning takes very little time and evaluating the information is easy. 

Recommendation on what to note: What should I write down when keeping a sleep diary

Many people hesitate to start a journal because they don't know exactly what to write in it. This can make them feel overwhelmed and they keep putting off starting their journal until they eventually forget. However, there is no need to worry. There is no right or wrong with a sleep journal. Ultimately, your sleep journal is a tool to help you sleep better. Some people find it sufficient to record important key data in their sleep journal: 

• Time of falling asleep 
• Number of waking moments during the night 
• Duration of lying awake 
• Wake-up time in the morning 
• Total sleep time 

There are many templates available to download from the internet that you can print out. The 6-minute sleep diary, which combines the latest findings from sleep research with a journaling section to write in, is particularly popular. Of course, you don't have to use a tried and tested sleep diary template and can keep your journal in your own unique way. 

Sleep log for better sleep hygiene

Some people want to use their sleep journal not only to record helpful key data about their sleep, but also to use it to reflect on their own feelings and thoughts. Writing down the stress from your soul in the evening lets you go to bed with a clear head and can help you fall asleep faster. You may also want to establish the wonderful habit of focusing primarily on the positive aspects of your day. In this case, you can use your journal as a gratitude diary, which will put you in an extra good mood before bedtime. Some people also find the dream world particularly fascinating and reserve a special section in their diary to record their dreams. The design of your sleep diary, whether it is kept simple or very detailed, ultimately depends solely on your personal preferences and what information is important to you in order to learn more about your sleep behavior. 

How long do I have to keep my sleep diary?

Depending on the problem you want to solve, the recommended duration for which you should keep your sleep diary will vary. For example, if you want to find out why you are chronically tired, it is advisable to record important sleep habits for at least two consecutive weeks. If you want to get an even more comprehensive picture, you should keep the sleep diary for at least four weeks. If you have persistent sleep problems, sleep medicine recommends continuing the diary until the problem is resolved. If the sleep journal has become an important evening ritual for you and you enjoy recording your thoughts in it, there is no reason why you should not continue to use it for journaling, even if you are satisfied with your sleep duration and quality.