Keeping a sleep diary

• To be effective, you need to complete your sleep diary honestly and fully.
• If your child sleeps elsewhere, such as a respite centre or another family member’s house, ask them to fill in the sleep diary. You might notice your child’s sleep pattern is different there.
• Check with your school to see if your child naps in the day. Ask the escort if they sleep on the bus home. This will affect night-time sleep if the nap is too late in the day or if they are at an age when they should not need naps.
• Keep the diary and a pencil by the bed. Fill it in immediately. It is hard trying to remember what happened.
• Share the diary with sleep professionals to see if they can help you find a cause for your child’s sleeping difficulties.
• Keep the diary for at least 2 weeks. See if you can see a pattern to your child’s sleeping habits. You can then identify an area that you can start to address.

Helping your disabled child sleep