For those of you who can not get to sleep at night, or who have an incredibly hard time doing it, a sleep diary might not be such a bad idea. You see, the pros of a sleep diary include getting to know when and how you are falling asleep each night, what you might be doing during the day that is keeping you from sleeping, and it can help you figure out what you could do in order to attain a good nights sleep.
1. Buy a journal. You can pick one up anywhere – Walgreens, Target, anywhere…
2. Get your hands on a pen or a pencil. Again, you can get these items anywhere.
3. First, figure out what time you woke up, and jot it down in your journal. You might find that if you’re sleeping in too late then you might have a harder time getting to bed early.
4. Now think about what time you went to bed last night. If you have to wake up early, you might want to consider getting to bed earlier if you aren’t already.
5. What did you do before you went to bed. Do you have any specific routines? Perhaps reading a book or taking a bath will be able to put you to sleep for the night, and help to turn off your mind.
6. How long before your bedtime did you eat and what was it. Sometimes a glass of milk and a PB&J sandwich will help settle your stomach, sometimes a shot of Vodka can upset it. Remember, coffee before bed might not be the best idea.
7. How active is your lifestyle? Do you exercise often? If you do, how long before bed do you exercise? Remember that our bodies need exercise to keep us healthy, just try and make sure you aren’t doing it right before bed because it will get all your blood pumping and your heart racing and you’ll find yourself feeling as if you have just downed a cup of coffee.
8. Did you wake up during the night at all? If so, for how long? How many times? Perhaps you suffer from a sleep disorder such as sleep apnea that should be checked out by a doctor.
9. What kind of mattress are you sleeping on? Is it springy and broken down? Maybe its time to purchase a new one, one that will last for over ten years. Remember, you spend a good third of your life on your mattress, so you’re going to want to get a decent one to snuggle up with. Think of choosing your mattress and bedding like you are choosing your spouse, you want it to be reliable, and you want it to be there for you, ready to cuddle up with at the end of a long day.
Besides helping one figure out what they might be doing wrong in terms of falling asleep, a sleep diary is also efficient in helping reproduce one’s dreams. The first thing that you must do upon waking up in the morning is to jot down whatever comes to mind about the dreams that you had last night. As time goes on, you’ll find that it is getting easier and easier to remember your dreams, and as more and more time goes on you might find yourself able to control your dreams better.
So, there are multiple reasons to keep a sleep diary, and now you can go out and try it for yourself. Good luck and goodnight!
