I've decided to be a little more pro-active in my management of this rls business and I want to keep a sleep diary. I've bought a notebook and written in it. But I feel like an idiot.
What are you supposed to write in a sleep diary?! When do you write it? How much do you write? What is it useful for? If it's useful for a doctor to read - what do they want to know?
I was going to buy an actual diary but financial constraints prevailed and I just have a small plain notebook instead! I've written an entry today for last night's sleep pattern. Is that the right format? I feel hideously ignorant here ...
Thanks!
Simone
Sleep Diaries
Hey Simone, I wanted to keep a sleep diary too but I found even tho I was awake most of the night it was too hard to write in a journal, so I went to a salvage store and bought a tape recorder for 4.50. I talk into it about what time I go to sleep and every time I wake up. I am finding it very interesting I also talk about my dreams and the way I am feeling. It works for me journaling is a very good way to keep track of stuff, your on the right track~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Lyndarae
Simone--
I had to smile at your post. I know just what you mean. I've not had sleep studies or been "treated" for RLS yet, but I know I was encouraged at one time to keep a dream/sleep diary, and I found it really awkward.
Trying to write things down felt awkward, and tended to make me feel wakeful and.... I don't know, I felt pressured to "get it all down" someway. I struggled with the whole "where's-the-pen... should-I-turn-on-the-light-or-write-in-the-dark... wonder-what-THIS-means... DANG-I'm-already-forgetting-the-dream..." thing. I do wonder if Lyndarae's tape recorder solution would be any better for me... I'm not sure I'd be any more adept in the middle of the night or first thing in the morning at operating that than I was at finding my pen when I needed it.
But, having said that, I have learned to keep tabs on other cyclical health issues, and it's been a benefit-- if not always to the doctors, who sometimes care and sometimes see any "record" as a sign that you're a hypochondriac who's fixated on your conditions, at least for my own understanding of what's going on and potential triggers and relief.
I think that probably ANY information you (or any of us) can get down in anything close to a regular" interval could potentially be beneficial. If nothing else, next time Jumpyowl updates the research survey, we'd be able to be really specific about the average incidences of our symptoms and such.
I'm not sure what information, specifically, you ought to be writing down, but in the morning, at least look back on the night and try to get down the timing and amount of sleep you got, the timing and severity of your symptoms, what you did to combat it, drugs you took and the timing of them (if you are on meds), how the methods and/or meds worked/didn't, and anything unusual or potentially significant from the day before (like heavy exercise or unusual eating or change in the weather) that might have some impact on your symptoms.
I think that after a while you'll get to develop a sort of short-hand for this, I know I have with other such "journals". So over time it ought to get much easier and more "natural".
And you've inspired me, so I think I'm going to try and start "journaling" about my RLS, too. Let's see what we can come up with?!
Good luck to you! (and good post!)
Sara
I had to smile at your post. I know just what you mean. I've not had sleep studies or been "treated" for RLS yet, but I know I was encouraged at one time to keep a dream/sleep diary, and I found it really awkward.
Trying to write things down felt awkward, and tended to make me feel wakeful and.... I don't know, I felt pressured to "get it all down" someway. I struggled with the whole "where's-the-pen... should-I-turn-on-the-light-or-write-in-the-dark... wonder-what-THIS-means... DANG-I'm-already-forgetting-the-dream..." thing. I do wonder if Lyndarae's tape recorder solution would be any better for me... I'm not sure I'd be any more adept in the middle of the night or first thing in the morning at operating that than I was at finding my pen when I needed it.
But, having said that, I have learned to keep tabs on other cyclical health issues, and it's been a benefit-- if not always to the doctors, who sometimes care and sometimes see any "record" as a sign that you're a hypochondriac who's fixated on your conditions, at least for my own understanding of what's going on and potential triggers and relief.
I think that probably ANY information you (or any of us) can get down in anything close to a regular" interval could potentially be beneficial. If nothing else, next time Jumpyowl updates the research survey, we'd be able to be really specific about the average incidences of our symptoms and such.
I'm not sure what information, specifically, you ought to be writing down, but in the morning, at least look back on the night and try to get down the timing and amount of sleep you got, the timing and severity of your symptoms, what you did to combat it, drugs you took and the timing of them (if you are on meds), how the methods and/or meds worked/didn't, and anything unusual or potentially significant from the day before (like heavy exercise or unusual eating or change in the weather) that might have some impact on your symptoms.
I think that after a while you'll get to develop a sort of short-hand for this, I know I have with other such "journals". So over time it ought to get much easier and more "natural".
And you've inspired me, so I think I'm going to try and start "journaling" about my RLS, too. Let's see what we can come up with?!
Good luck to you! (and good post!)
Sara