Which tool assists clinicians in measuring a patient's sleep habits over time?

The sleep diary serves as a valuable tool for clinicians to gather detailed and subjective information on a patient's sleep habits over an extended period. This method involves the patient documenting their sleep patterns, including bedtimes, wake times, total sleep duration, nighttime awakenings, and any factors that may influence sleep quality, such as stress or medication. By analyzing these entries, clinicians can identify trends, patterns, and potential issues affecting the patient’s sleep, allowing for more personalized treatment plans.

While polysomnography provides in-depth data about sleep stages and physiological responses during sleep, it is typically administered in a clinical setting for a single night, making it less effective for capturing long-term sleep behavior. The home sleep apnea test focuses primarily on diagnosing sleep apnea and does not provide comprehensive information about overall sleep habits. Actigraphy is a useful tool for monitoring sleep-wake patterns objectively through movement data over time, yet it does not capture the qualitative aspects of sleep that a sleep diary can provide. Therefore, the sleep diary is the most effective option for measuring a patient's sleep habits over time.