Starting the Sleep Log

You cannot improve what you don’t measure. Subjective impressions of sleep are notoriously unreliable. You need data.

The Sleep Log

Every morning, as soon as possible after waking, record:

1. Bed time: What time did you get in bed with lights out?
2. Wake time: What time did you wake (final wake, not when you first stirred)?
3. Sleep quality: Rate 1-5 (1 = terrible, 5 = excellent)
4. Notes: Any relevant details - woke at 3am, vivid dreams, felt rested, needed alarm, etc.

That’s it. Takes 2 minutes. But it creates data you can analyze.

Why Track?

Most people have no idea how much they sleep. They think they go to bed at 11 but it’s 11:45 after scrolling. They think they sleep 7 hours but it’s 6 with wake-ups.

The log reveals reality. Often, reality differs from impression.

The log also reveals patterns:

• Weekend vs. weekday differences
• Correlation with evening activities
• Impact of various factors
• Trends over time

Don’t Try to Change Anything Yet

For the first week, just track. Don’t try to improve. Collect baseline data. See what’s happening before attempting intervention.

This is important. If you change multiple things while tracking, you won’t know what helped. Clean data first, then changes.

Today’s Practice

Start your Sleep Log.

Create a simple system for daily tracking. Options:

• Notebook by your bed
• Notes app on phone
• Spreadsheet
• Whatever you’ll use

Record last night’s sleep (estimate if needed):

• Bed time:
• Wake time:
• Quality (1-5):
• Notes:

Commit to recording every morning for at least 7 days.