Guide

How to keep a sleep diary

A sleep diary is a short morning record of when you went to bed, roughly when you fell asleep, when you woke and how you felt. Keep it for one to two weeks, then read the whole page for patterns.

Updated 21 October 2026. Sources named on the page.

What to write each morning
How long to keep it
How to read it
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What to write

Each morning, write the date, the time you went to bed, about when you fell asleep, when you woke up, any wakings in the night, and how you feel. Add anything that might matter, such as caffeine, alcohol, exercise or a late meal.

Do it first thing

Write the entry within a few minutes of getting up, while it is fresh. Guesses are fine. The pattern matters more than exact minutes. Keep the page and a pen by the bed.

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How long to keep it

One to two weeks is enough to see a pattern. A single week can be unusual, so two gives a fairer picture.

Reading the page

Look at bedtimes, wake times and how you felt. Do the days after late nights feel worse? Is your weekend schedule far from your weekday one? Pick one small change and test it for a week.

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Bring it to a doctor if needed

If you often sleep badly or feel very tired in the day, a sleep diary is a useful thing to bring to a doctor. This page is general information and not medical advice.

Paper or app

The sleep diary printable is a free week on one page. The Daily Journal has a sleep box on the Today page.

Questions

What is a sleep diary?

A morning record of when you slept and how you felt, kept for a week or two.

What do I write in a sleep diary?

Bedtime, about when you fell asleep, wake time, night wakings and how you feel, plus caffeine, alcohol or exercise.

How long should I keep one?

One to two weeks.

Can a sleep diary diagnose a sleep problem?

No. It shows your pattern. If you are worried, talk to a doctor.

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