Fatigue & insomnia
Women to Women’s Sleep Log
Insomnia is measured by assessing the quality and quantity of sleep a person experiences. If you wake up feeling fatigued or drowsy even though you went to bed eight hours earlier, you may be under the illusion that you’re sleeping more than you actually are. A 2006 study revealed the average person spends 7.5 hours in bed, but only 6.1 hours asleep.
In order to understand your own form of insomnia, it may be useful to keep a sleep diary or log of your sleep habits. Or, you may find you prefer to keep a dream log as a way to overcome insomnia. Print this log, copy these elements, or develop your own for tracking your sleep behaviors. You can use the log during your sleepless nights or fill it out the morning after.
Sleep Log
| Bedtime: |
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| Approximate time I fell asleep: |
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| Time/s I awoke: |
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| Total estimated hours asleep: |
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| Evening activities: |
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| Evening meal, beverages, snacks: |
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| Daily caffeine, nicotine, alcohol intake: |
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| Medications, vitamins, supplements: |
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| Describe physical/mental symptoms evident while lying in bed before falling sleep: |
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| Describe lights/sounds/odors evident while lying awake in bed: |
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| Describe partner’s sleep habits: |
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| Describe thoughts, symptoms evident during wakeful periods in the night: |
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| Nocturnal trips to the bathroom: |
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| Dreams: |
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| How do I feel upon arising? |
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Keep in mind that the point here is to get in touch with your inner self, not to watch the clock night after night, obsessively recording minute-by-minute observations. Unless, that is, you find that ultimately serves to calm you back to sleep!
Tracking the parameters of your sleep-wake cycle can give you insight into what stimulates or calms your nervous system — what, literally, makes you tick. This information can help you better understand how to schedule your activities of daily living so you can balance energizing physical and mental activity with ample, restorative sleep. It can also be used with a number of behavioral modification treatments for insomnia.
Return to our full article on insomnia.
Our Personal Program is a great place to start
The Personal Program promotes natural hormonal balance with nutritional supplements, our exclusive endocrine support formula, dietary and lifestyle guidance, and optional phone consultations with our Nurse–Educators. It is a convenient, at-home version of what we recommend to all our patients at the clinic.
If you have questions, don't hesitate to call us toll-free at 1-800-798-7902. We're here to listen and help.
We’re always happy to welcome new patients to our medical clinic in Yarmouth, Maine, for those who can make the trip. Click here for information about making an appointment.
Original Publication Date: 01/02/2007
Last Modified: 08/17/2009
Principal Author: Genevieve Morgan