Sleep Disorders: Diagnosis

Sleep Diary

Your doctor may have you and your sleep partner fill out a sleep diary (pdf). This may be done for one to two weeks before your office visit. Sleep diaries contain information about the quality and quantity of nighttime sleep. The diary also includes information about daytime naps.

Information in a sleep diary includes:

• Time you got into bed
• Time you tried to sleep
• How long it took you to fall asleep
• Number of times you woke up during the night
• How long you were awake during the night
• Amount of actual sleep during the night
• Time you woke up in the morning
• Time you got out of bed
• Whether you dreamed during the night
• How you felt about the quality of your sleep
• Whether you took any medicines to help you sleep
• Whether you drank coffee or alcohol before you went to bed
• Whether any naps were taken during the day
• Any events that occurred that may have affected your entries in the sleep diary

Your doctor will discuss the data from the sleep diary with you during your medical visit.

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