At advancedhomecareonline.com, we have lots of valuable information and advice for sleep apnea patients about getting better sleep, managing your sleep apnea, and adjusting to using a CPAP. Without a sleep journal, it’s almost impossible to know what advice works or how to solve your sleep issues.
What is a Sleep Journal?
A sleep journal is as simple as it sounds. It’s a daily record of how well you sleep. It doesn’t have to be a complicated or long-winded record, but keep track of the following things at a minimum:
- how well rested you feel,
- the times you went to bed and woke up,
- the measurements from your CPAP,
- and anything that could change your sleep pattern.
Should I buy a Sleep Journal?
You can buy sleep journals from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or your local bookstore, but a notebook will work just as well.
We recommend a basic notebook so you can write notes without being constrained by checkboxes.
What Do I Need To Track?
- Each morning, when you wake up, sit with your notebook and write down the time you went to bed and woke up.
- Write what you ate and drank the previous night and what time you last ate/ drank so that you can tell which foods affect your sleep.
- Write down whether you feel like you slept well or poorly.
- Write down how you feel. Do you have any stressors right now? Write them down.
- Write down your CPAP measurements.
Do I Need to Track The NIghts I Slept Well?
Yes! It’s so important to write down when you slept well so that you can start to see patterns. This will help you get more good nights of sleep and avoid the things that keep you up.
Take Your Sleep Journal to the Doctor
Share the journal with your doctor to show what treatments are working. At Advanced Homecare, we like to hear from our patients when something works well or needs adjusting. Because we’re not with you at all times, a sleep journal can make treating your sleep apnea so much easier.
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