Tracking your sleep with a pen and paper is “the number one tool for better sleep,” according to an expert. Sharing advice on TikTok as @Thesleepdoctor, clinical psychologist and sleep medicine specialist Dr Michael Breus recommended the method.
Dr Breus explained: “What if I told you one of the best tools for tracking your sleep was not an Apple Watch or some other piece of tech equipment that runs you several hundred bucks? No, actually, all you really need is a pen or pencil and a sheet of paper.”
He added: “Keeping a basic sleep journal or sleep diary can tell you a ton about how you’re sleeping and what changes you need to make. This is a tool I use literally with every single one of my patients. Whether they’ve got a tracker or not, they’re still filling out the piece of paper.”
As detailed on Sleep Doctor’s website, a sleep diary lets you record and examine your sleep patterns over time. An article reviewed by Dr Breus points out that the level of detail in the diary is up to the individual.
However, the expert says it may be useful to note things like the time it takes to fall asleep, your levels of exercise, mood, and any dreams you can remember. You might also wish to track your consumption of alcohol, caffeine, and tobacco, any medications taken, and nap times.
Why keeping a sleep journal can be beneficial:
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Identifying patterns
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Pinpointing triggers
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Awareness of sleep hygiene
If you are experiencing persistent sleep issues, a sleep journal can provide valuable information for your doctor to help diagnose potential sleep disorders or develop a treatment plan. Keeping a sleep journal encourages you to be more mindful of your sleep habits and identify areas where you can make improvements.
Sleep Doctor also offers a free sleep diary template from which you can draw inspiration. It asks users to respond to a series of prompts using a scale where one means very poor and five means very good. For instance, the prompts ask users to rate sleep quality and quantity, and users are asked how refreshed they felt when they woke up in the morning.
The advice is to monitor sleep patterns for a minimum of seven to fourteen days, including weekends. As Sleep Doctor advises: “It is not unusual to have occasional trouble sleeping.
“However, you should address any sleep problems or concerning changes with your doctor.” The expert adds that if you experience frequent fatigue, difficulty breathing at night, loud snoring, choking or gasping in your sleep, or you fall asleep during the day, you should tell your doctor. These could be symptoms of a sleep disorder.