Therapy Tips:  Keep a Sleep Diary

Sleep Review, an online journal for sleep specialists, reported that results from a survey of more than 900 women showed that 62% "...have not talked to their HCP [health care provider] about the symptoms of insomnia they've experienced during menopause."  This is just one of many examples of the very common lack of communication between patients and physicians.  There are many reasons why a person might fail to talk to their physician about problems with sleep.  Perhaps you believe that it's "normal" and that nothing can be done about it anyway.  Maybe you are already undergoing some form of sleep therapy and feel that you are feeling the best you can expect to feel.

In past newsletters we have emphasized that you, the patient, must be proactive about your sleep health.  Daytime sleepiness is NOT normal, especially if you are already treated with CPAP.  Chronic insomnia is not normal either.  While you may not feel that your symptoms are a problem right now, eventually they might just catch up to you.  For example, we have a patient that started with CPAP therapy after discovering that she had mild sleep apnea.  She felt great for a while, but over the next 4 years she found that she was still feeling sleepy during the day.  A second sleep study with CPAP showed that this person also had a REM behavior disorder which was also disturbing her sleep.  Once treated for this problem, her daytime fatigue improved! 

Becoming aware of a sleep problem you have been living with for a long time and communicating to a physician about the problem can both be easier said than done.  If you would like to screen yourself for a possible sleep disorder, click here for some simple quizzes.  If you are already being treated for a sleep disorder, like Obstructive Sleep Apnea, and you are still having symptoms or noticing new symptoms, the quizzes can be helpful for you as well. 

To prepare for a visit with your sleep physician, the best place to start is to keep a sleep diary.  Keeping a sleep diary will help you to become more aware of your present sleep habits and your "natural" sleep patterns/behaviors.  It also helps you to share with your doctor exactly what is happening.  The more information you can give your doctor, the better he/she can create an effective therapy plan for you.  If you sleep with someone, record their observations of your sleep behaviors in your diary as well. 

You can use a blank calendar or create your own chart for your sleep diary.  It is important to include the following sections for each day:

• Time you went to bed, and the time you got out of bed for the day
•  Alcohol consumption:  amount and time of          consumption
•  Caffeine consumption:  amount and time of         consumption
•  Drugs or medications taken and time of consumption 
•  Food/drink consumption:  what type and time of consumption
•  Number of times you woke during the night, duration of wake times
• Quality of sleep
• Stress and emotions experienced