How to keep a sleep diary, with a free template
CareOps editorial team · · 2 min read
Mental wellness information and service guidance published by CareOps.
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Read our full editorial standards →A sleep diary helps you describe both your nights and your days. Alongside bedtimes and waking, record naps, sleepiness and relevant conditions such as caffeine or late work. The aim is a useful account for a conversation about care, rather than a perfect score for each night.
At a glance
- Approximate times and effects on daily life are useful. You do not need to watch the clock overnight.
- Write in the free sleep diary, then copy or download a text note without an account.
- Review recurring difficulties with your professional rather than changing medication or restricting sleep from a diary alone.
What to put in your diary
NHLBI provides a sleep diary for recording sleep quantity and quality, medicines, alcohol, caffeine and daytime sleepiness for review with a doctor. The CareOps worksheet is an original personal note informed by that purpose, rather than a translated clinical scale. It does not calculate a diagnostic score.
| Record | Fictional example |
|---|---|
| Going to bed | I lay down around 11:30 pm and kept thinking about work. |
| Waking and getting up | I woke once overnight, then at 7 am and got up about 20 minutes later. |
| Naps and daytime life | I dozed after lunch and struggled to focus in an afternoon meeting. |
| Relevant conditions | I had a late coffee and worked after dinner. |
| Question to bring | I want to discuss why getting up feels harder than settling to sleep. |
Leave uncertain times uncertain
Write 'after a while' or 'about once' if that is what you remember. Leaving a field blank is more accurate than inventing a precise time. If recording makes you monitor the clock and feel more tense, simplify the note and bring that difficulty to your professional.
You can bring a separate prescription record if medicines are relevant. You do not need to paste identifying details or medical documents into a public worksheet. The sleep diary tool does not automatically save writing to an account, so copy or download what you want to keep.
How to discuss several entries
Instead of declaring a cause from a few nights, explain which difficulty appeared on which days and show the notes. Work schedules, pain and other health factors may also matter. Start with the part that is most disruptive, such as daytime sleepiness even when settling to sleep seems easy.
If sleepiness makes driving or work unsafe, address safety before collecting more entries. Tell a clinician about concerns such as snoring or waking with a choking sensation. The CBT-I overview explains the wider professional approach to insomnia.
Frequently asked questions
- When should I fill it in?
- You can note the night the following morning and add daytime observations later. Follow any recording method agreed with your professional.
- Does the diary establish an insomnia diagnosis?
- The diary describes sleep and daily difficulties. Causes, diagnosis and care are reviewed alongside symptoms, health and living circumstances in a clinical assessment.
Sources
This guide shares mental wellness information. If you are in immediate danger, contact emergency services where you are. Support and contact information.