Better Sleep DiaryGuide
Seeing a doctor about sleep: what to take
See a GP if changing your habits hasn't helped, if you've had trouble sleeping for months, or if it's making the day hard to cope with. Take a two-week sleep diary, a list of your medicines, and a note of what you've already tried.
When to go
The NHS says insomnia usually gets better by changing sleeping habits, and to see a GP if:
- changing your sleeping habits hasn't helped
- you've had trouble sleeping for months
- it's affecting your daily life in a way that makes it hard to cope
What to take
A two-week sleep diary
The American Academy of Sleep Medicine's insomnia guideline asks for a two-week sleep log, ideally completed before the first visit, so the doctor sees your general pattern rather than one particular night. It records bedtime, time to fall asleep, awakenings, time awake, time in bed, total sleep and sleep efficiency. A printable sleep diary or the online sleep diary will do.
Your medicines
Everything you take, including anything from a pharmacy for sleep. The NHS says sleep aids from a pharmacy shouldn't be used for more than 1 to 2 weeks, and to check with a doctor before taking anything for sleep.
Caffeine, alcohol and your routine
Roughly how much coffee, tea, cola and alcohol you have, and when. Shift work, a new baby, pain or worry all matter. The guideline notes a sleep log can include caffeine, alcohol and medication, so a diary that records them saves you remembering.
What you've already tried
Regular wake times, cutting caffeine, no screens before bed: say what you changed and for how long.
What might happen
The GP will try to find what's causing it. The NHS says you may be offered cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), face to face or online, and referred to a sleep clinic if you have signs of another sleep disorder such as sleep apnoea. Sleeping pills are rarely prescribed now, and then only for a short time. The American Academy of Sleep Medicine strongly recommends CBT for insomnia (CBT-I) for long-term insomnia in adults.
This guide isn't medical advice. If poor sleep has gone on for months or makes the day hard to cope with, see your doctor.