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Keeping A Sleep Log
Everyone loves a good, deep sleep. Almost nothing can make us feel better than waking up with renewed energy and a sense of well-being. Yet as much as we love and need our sleep, almost everyone takes it for granted until it’s disrupted. Most of us don’t put much energy into improving our sleep until we find we're flagging during the day.
There are lots of things you can do when you want to sleep better—learn more about sleep, maintain better sleep habits (called "sleep hygiene" by the experts), eat more healthfully, exercise, meditate, and so forth. One helpful technique to try is keeping a sleep log.
Logging Your Zs
A sleep log is different from a sleep diary. Normally in a sleep diary you write down your dreams and what might have caused them; dreams are the central theme of the diary.
A sleep log is more about recording the facts of your sleep, and it can serve as the beginning of a useful analysis of your sleep habits. It can include factors such as what time you went to bed, any intervals of wakefulness during the night, what time you woke up, got up, and so forth.
For example, your sleep log might look like a table with the column headers being the days of the week, and the row headers being:
- Time in Bed (hours)
- Time Awake
- Total Night Sleep
- Naps
- Total Sleep
You should personalize your sleep log for your own needs. That’s because each person has his or her own sleep issues, and your own analysis should pertain to you. Regardless of the data you choose to record, consider your sleep log a snapshot of your body's attempts to rest. You might include:
- Quality of Sleep (1-5)
- How rested do I feel? (1-5)
Dreamy Data
What does your sleep log reveal? Have you been thinking you're getting eight hours when it's more like six, or vice versa (very common)? Do you feel better when you sleep and rise later, or does your body clock seems to work best when you go to bed and get up with the chickens? What happens when you doze on the couch in the evenings? Are naps helping or hurting your night-time sleep? Also consider recording additional factors such as:
Sore shoulder(s)??
Sore hip(s)
Tossed & turned?
Low back pain?
Other back pain?
Slept hot?
Partner disturbed me?
Alcohol? Caffeine? Exercise?
Distractors (party next door, siren, argument before bed, etc.)
The information you gather can guide you to positive changes to make in your sleep environment or routine. It could be the need for a sound machine to screen out noise, or a change in your bedtime or nap habits; or it might be time to consider the comfortable, organic mattress you've been dreaming about.
About the Author
Michael Penny is the founder of Savvy Rest Organic Mattresses and an expert on body dynamics and sleep issues. An entrepreneur and a yoga practitioner, Penny brings a unique perspective to the mattress industry.