How to keep a daytime sleepiness diary
Updated November 6, 2026
In short: a daytime sleepiness diary is a short record of how awake you feel at a few points in the day, plus anything that might be involved, like last night's sleep, caffeine, naps and what you were doing. Use the same 1 to 5 scale every time, check in three to five times a day and whenever sleepiness catches you off guard, and keep it for about two weeks. Print the free sheet below, or use Ears Up, the no-paper version.
Why keep one
"My afternoons are bad" is hard to describe and easy to doubt, including by you. Two weeks of short entries is easy to look at and easy to show someone. Most sleep diaries focus on the night: when you went to bed, when you woke. A daytime sleepiness diary records the other part, the hours you spend trying to stay awake.
If a clinician has asked you to keep a diary on a particular form, use their form first. Everything below is a general way to keep one.
Use one scale, every time
The words matter less than using the same words every time. This is the five-step scale Ears Up uses, written in plain language:
Rate how you feel right now, not how the day has gone so far.
When to check in
- Three to five set times a day, spread across your waking hours. For example 9:00, 11:30, 14:00, 16:30 and 19:00.
- Whenever you notice yourself fading, right then. These catches are often the most useful entries.
- Your good stretches too. A record of only the bad moments cannot show you when you are at your best.
What to note, if you want to
Notes are optional. A diary you keep for two weeks beats a detailed one you abandon after three days.
- What you were doing: working, driving, reading, after a meal.
- What you tried: coffee, a nap, a walk, standing up. Then see what your next check-in looked like.
- Naps: when, roughly how long, and whether you felt better, the same or groggier afterwards.
- Times sleep caught you without meaning to.
- Once each morning, one line about last night: roughly when you went to bed and got up.
Keep it light
Missed a check-in? Leave it blank and carry on. A gap is not a failure, and nothing is lost. The point is a rough picture, not a perfect record.
After two weeks
Look for what repeats: a time of day that keeps showing up heavy, what tends to happen after coffee or a nap, whether some days differ from others. Treat what you see as clues, not conclusions, and bring the diary to your clinician if you are seeing one.
Free printable sheet
One day per page. Print as many as you need.
Daytime sleepiness diary. Date: ____________ Last night, to bed: ________ up: ________
1 Wide awake, sharp 2 Awake, a little relaxed 3 Some fog, still fine 4 Heavy, hard to focus 5 Fighting to stay awake
| Time | How awake (1 to 5) | What I was doing | Tried (coffee, nap, walk, stood up) | Fell asleep? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
The no-paper version
Ears Up is this diary as an app. Reminders arrive on the days and hours you choose, or not at all if you would rather check in on your own. Each check-in is one tap on the scale above. You can tag what you tried, log a time sleep caught you in two taps, and see an hour-by-hour picture of your usual rhythm with today drawn over the top. Your check-ins are stored on your phone, you can export them to a spreadsheet, there is no account, and there are no streaks or scores to keep up with.
Questions
How long should I keep a daytime sleepiness diary?
About two weeks is a common length: long enough for patterns by time of day to show, short enough to keep up. If a clinician asked you to keep one, follow the length they gave you.
How many times a day should I check in?
Three to five set times spread across your waking day, plus any time you notice yourself fading. Include alert stretches as well as heavy ones.
Is a daytime sleepiness diary the same as a sleep diary?
Not quite. A sleep diary mostly records the night: bedtime, wake time, awakenings. A daytime sleepiness diary records how awake you feel during the day. Many people keep one line about the night alongside it.
Ears Up: Daytime Sleepiness
A gentle, private daytime sleepiness diary. One tap to note how awake you feel, a quick log when sleep catches you, and a calm picture of your daily rhythm. No account, no streaks, no scores. Free with one banner ad, which a single one-time purchase removes. Coming soon to iPhone and Android.
See Ears UpEars Up is a self-awareness journal for general wellness. It is not a medical device, it does not diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease or condition, and it is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Talk with a qualified clinician about excessive daytime sleepiness, and do not drive or operate machinery when you are fighting sleep.