Enrichment · Wellbeing

Better sleep,
one night at a time.

Log a few nights: when the lights went out, when you woke up, how long it took to fall asleep, and what you did in the hours before. The diary works out how long you actually slept, compares it with what is recommended for your age and points to the habit most likely to help.

Log last nightWhat you get

Sleep diary

The worked example is made up: four nights for a high school student. Saved on this device only.

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What you get

Enrichment · WellbeingFree

What you finish with
A sleep diary: a night per entry with lights out, wake time, minutes to fall asleep, wakings, screens, late caffeine, naps, morning light and how rested you felt. Works out hours asleep, the average, nights in the recommended range for your age and how much your bedtimes vary; flags the habits worth changing.
Who it is for
Students from upper elementary through college, parents logging with a younger child, and adults; health and PE teachers running a one-week sleep project.
Format
Browser sleep diary with a saved entry per night. Prints one night, the whole diary as a table to take to a doctor, or a blank page; downloads a spreadsheet (.csv); exports and imports a file.
Access
Free. No account, no sign-in and nothing to install. Everything you type stays in this browser; nothing is sent to Caveat.
Where it lives
The Wellbeing space in Caveat Enrichment.
Support
Questions about access, an order or a correction: team@caveatacademic.com.

How to use it

  1. Pick your age group and log last night: lights out, wake time and about how long it took to fall asleep.
  2. Mark the habits: screens, caffeine, naps and morning light.
  3. Rate how rested you felt.
  4. Log for at least a week, weekends included.
  5. Pick one habit from the flags and change only that for the next week, then compare.

Log last night

How much sleep, and what helps

Recommended sleep in 24 hoursAgeRecommendedGets in the way3 to 5 years10 to 13 hours, naps countLate bedtimes, screens6 to 12 years9 to 12 hoursActivities, devices in the room13 to 18 years8 to 10 hoursEarly school start, late phonesAdults to 607 hours or moreWork, caffeine, stressRecommended sleep in 24 hours3 to 5 yearsRecommended: 10 to 13 hours, naps countGets in the way: Late bedtimes, screens6 to 12 yearsRecommended: 9 to 12 hoursGets in the way: Activities, devices in the room13 to 18 yearsRecommended: 8 to 10 hoursGets in the way: Early school start, late phonesAdults to 60Recommended: 7 hours or moreGets in the way: Work, caffeine, stress
Teens’ body clocks shift later in puberty, which is one reason so many are short on sleep on school nights.

The habits with the best evidence

A regular sleep and wake time, including weekends; a dark, quiet, cool bedroom; no caffeine later in the day; screens off and out of reach before bed; and daylight in the morning. None works overnight, so change one at a time and give it a week.

If you cannot fall asleep

Lying awake for a long time teaches the brain that bed is a place to be awake. If you are still awake after about 20 minutes, get up, do something calm in dim light and go back when you feel sleepy.

When to talk to a doctor

Loud snoring, gasping in sleep, falling asleep in class or while driving, or trouble sleeping most nights for weeks are worth raising with a doctor. Sleep and mood affect each other; if low mood comes with poor sleep, say so.

Sources

  1. Paruthi, S., et al. (2016). Recommended amount of sleep for pediatric populations: a consensus statement of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine. Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine, 12(6), 785 to 786.
  2. Watson, N. F., et al. (2015). Recommended amount of sleep for a healthy adult. Sleep, 38(6), 843 to 844.
  3. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: About sleep; tips for better sleep (cdc.gov/sleep).
  4. Drake, C., et al. (2013). Caffeine effects on sleep taken 0, 3, or 6 hours before going to bed. Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine, 9(11), 1195 to 1200.
  5. Carskadon, M. A. (2011). Sleep in adolescents: the perfect storm. Pediatric Clinics of North America, 58(3), 637 to 647.

The worked example is made up. This diary is for learning and noticing patterns; it is not a sleep study or medical advice. Nothing you type is sent to Caveat. Support: team@caveatacademic.com.