In Menoup's sleep diary you record five things each day: when you went to bed, when you woke up, how long it took to fall asleep, how many times you woke during the night, and how you rate your sleep quality on a scale of 1 to 5. From this data a hypnogram is assembled — a visual picture of your night, showing when you were in deep sleep and when your rest was interrupted.
A sleep score is also calculated from the data — one that goes beyond self-assessment: if you slept less than 6 hours, if it took more than 45 minutes to fall asleep, or if you woke more than three times, each of these lowers the score — because they are clinically significant markers. Week by week you can see whether your sleep improved, declined or stayed the same.
Sleep is not a luxury, and it does not depend on whether you are strong-willed enough. After 40, your body operates by different rules than before — and once you understand this, it becomes easier to work with.