How to Start a Sleep Diary and Get Your Best Sleep Ever

Coffee and journal on a bed

Eating whole foods and exercising are a couple of things that people work to improve when looking to live a healthier lifestyle. However, one often-neglected area is sleep. Getting consistent, quality sleep is a cornerstone of a healthy life. Sleep affects us in a multitude of ways, from our concentration to our mood, and is key in maintaining a strong immune system. Unfortunately, one-third of adult Americans say they don’t get a sufficient amount of sleep.

Have you been feeling fatigued lately and can’t figure out why? If your sleep could use a makeover, try tracking your daily habits with a sleep diary.

What is a Sleep Diary?

A sleep diary is a method of tracking your sleep that helps you identify what may be impacting your sleep quality. Every night, you’ll write down your answers to the same series of questions with the hope that you can discern a pattern over time and take steps to improve your sleep.

Why Use a Sleep Diary?

There are several benefits to using a sleep diary, including having a complete log of your habits on hand (which can help identify where your sleep problems arise from), helping you monitor your behavior and provide thorough information for your medical team to give you a sleep diagnosis, and helping to motivate you to improve your sleep hygiene.

How to Start a Sleep Diary

Not sure how to start a sleep diary or what exactly to track? Here are a few ideas and prompts for recording in your sleep diary:

Food/Drink

  • Did I drink caffeine today? How much and when?

  • Did I consume alcohol today? How much and when?

  • Did I consume a heavy meal today? When?

Emotions

  • What was my overall mood today?

  • Was there a stressful event today? What happened?

Fitness

  • Did I exercise today? 

  • What fitness activities did I engage in? At what time and for how long?

Environment/Habits 

  • What was the temperature in the bedroom last night? Was I too hot/cold?

  • What did my nighttime routine look like tonight?

  • Did I take a nap today? When? For how long?

Sleep Quality

  • How easily did I fall asleep last night? 

  • How long did I sleep for?

  • Did I wake up during the night? When? How many times? For how long?

  • How did I feel upon waking? Refreshed? Groggy?

Once you’ve recorded your sleep habits for a week or two, revisit your entries and reflect on the habits that might have led to poor sleep. Try making small changes over time and create consistent habits from the activities that helped you wake up feeling refreshed.


If you could benefit from better sleep, start a sleep diary tonight and incorporate our Yoga for Better Sleep series with Naya Rappaport into your nighttime routine. These classes will help you relax, gently stretch your body, and let go of the stress that can keep you up at night. Try this series and more with a 14-day free trial to Alo Moves.

 
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