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Tracking and your doctor

Keeping a simple record of your nights and bringing it to your next appointment, so the conversation starts from facts.

1 article in this topic

What the sources say

Tracking and your doctor, in plain terms

A record turns "I sleep badly" into something a doctor can work with. The National Institute on Aging suggests noting what triggers your hot flashes and how much they bother you, because that helps you make better decisions about managing them.

A useful night record is short: the time you went to bed and got up, how many times you woke, whether a flush or a sweat came with the waking, and how rested you felt. Add the evening's alcohol, caffeine and late meals if you suspect them. Rate each symptom as mild, moderate or severe so a fortnight can be compared at a glance. Two weeks is usually enough to show a pattern.

Paper works, and our printable night diary has exactly those columns, to fill in on screen or print blank. So does an app. Her Good Days is a free app that keeps a dated log of perimenopause and menopause symptoms, sleep, periods and medication. You log a hot flash or night sweats as mild, moderate or severe with the time, and it shows how you slept on sweaty nights against the rest. For an appointment it makes a PDF for the dates you pick, marked as reported by you, with no reading of what the entries mean. It is free with no paid plan, and the store listings are coming soon.

Know when not to wait. The NHS says contact a GP if you want to know your options, if you have palpitations, if your bleeding gets heavier, or if you bleed after 12 months without a period. Its page on sweating at night adds fever, cough, diarrhoea or unexplained weight loss.

The articles here cover keeping a sleep diary, what to bring to a menopause appointment, and the questions worth asking.

Questions readers ask

What should the diary include?
Bedtime, wake time, how often you woke and why, how rested you felt, and anything you suspect, such as late alcohol or caffeine.
How long should I track before I see the doctor?
Two weeks usually shows a pattern. Bring the record with you rather than recalling it from memory.
When should I see a GP rather than keep tracking?
The NHS lists palpitations, heavier bleeding, any bleeding after 12 months without a period, and sweating at night with fever or weight loss.

Related reading

The other sides of a hard night

Hot flashes at night Why the heat arrives once the lights are off, how long one episode lasts, and what the health services suggest trying first. Night sweats Waking soaked: what counts, the signs that point away from menopause, what helps at night and when to see a doctor. Insomnia and 3am waking Trouble falling asleep, waking at 4am with no way back to sleep, and the habits the National Institute on Aging suggests. A cooler bedroom Room temperature, layered bedding, a fan, what to wear to bed and the evening habits that make hot nights easier.