A nurse is counseling a patient with a chief complaint of excessive daytime fatigue. The treating practitioner has ordered that the patient keep a daily sleep log for a period of 2 weeks. The nurse is educating the patient on what elements are important to include in the log. Which of these is typically not necessary to record?

When keeping a sleep log, it is not necessary to record the timing and amount of food consumed throughout the day. Although, in general, heavy meals should be avoided prior to sleeping. In addition to the the choices listed, one should also include the timing of cigarettes and alcohol prior to bedtime; the exact symptoms and severity of daytime sleepiness; a list of daily stressors; and the exact bedtime, time to fall asleep, duration of sleep, and the timing and duration of awake periods during the night.