How to talk to your GP about poor sleep (plus a free sleep diary)

Many of us put up with bad sleep for months, or leave a short appointment having forgotten half of what we meant to say.

This guide explains when to get help, who can help, and how to prepare so you get the most from your appointment – whether it's with a GP, a pharmacist, a nurse or another healthcare professional. If anxiety is part of the picture, our guide Why good quality sleep matters when you live with GAD covers that in more detail.

If you're struggling right now

If poor sleep is part of feeling unable to cope, get help now. In England, call 111 and choose the mental health option, or ask for an urgent GP appointment (NHS, n.d.c). In Wales, call NHS 111 and press 2 (NHS 111 Wales, n.d.). In Scotland, call NHS 24 on 111 and choose the mental health option (NHS Borders, n.d.). In Northern Ireland, call Lifeline free on 0808 808 8000 (nidirect, n.d.). Anywhere in the UK, Samaritans is free on 116 123. Call 999 or go to A&E if someone's life is at risk, or you don't feel you can keep yourself safe (NHS, n.d.c).

Key insight

Your GP can only work with what you tell them. A little preparation – especially a two-week sleep diary – turns "I'm sleeping badly" into a clear picture they can act on.

When to see a GP about sleep

The NHS says to see a GP if any of these apply (NHS, n.d.a):

See a GP if…
Changing your sleeping habits hasn't helped
You've had trouble sleeping for months
Poor sleep is affecting your daily life in a way that makes it hard to cope

The Sleep Charity suggests not waiting that long. If you've had trouble sleeping for more than four weeks and it's affecting your wellbeing, it's worth booking an appointment before the problem becomes long-term (The Sleep Charity, n.d.a).

See a GP sooner if your partner has noticed that you stop and start breathing in your sleep, make gasping, snorting or choking noises, or if you always feel very tired during the day. These can be signs of sleep apnoea (NHS, n.d.b).

Who else can help?

A pharmacist can talk you through sleep aids you can buy. And if you have a long-term condition, ask your specialist team whether it – or your medicines – could be affecting your sleep. Long-term pain and many medicines can cause insomnia (NHS, n.d.a).

Booking your appointment

Tip	Why it helps
Ask for a double appointment	Appointments are usually about ten minutes. If you have several things to discuss, you can ask for a longer one (YoungMinds, n.d.).
Choose phone, video or face to face	Depending on your practice, you may be offered any of these (YoungMinds, n.d.). If one suits you better, say so.
Ask for a particular GP	You can ask to see a specific GP, for example a man or a woman, or someone who speaks your language (YoungMinds, n.d.).
Ask for an interpreter if you need one	In England, you have the right to a free, trained interpreter at GP appointments. Your practice should book it and allow extra time (Healthwatch Redbridge, 2024).

Before your appointment

A short checklist can make a big difference:

What to prepare	Why it helps
A two-week sleep diary	Shows your GP your real sleep pattern, rather than a guess (The Sleep Charity, n.d.a). Print ours below, use our editable Google Sheets version, or download The Sleep Charity's diary (The Sleep Charity, n.d.b).
How poor sleep affects your day	Tiredness, concentration, mood, work or driving. This matters, because the NHS uses the effect on your daily life as a reason to see a GP (NHS, n.d.a).
A list of your medicines	Include anything you buy yourself, and any recent changes. Many medicines can cause insomnia (NHS, n.d.a).
Lifestyle notes	Caffeine, alcohol, nicotine, shift work, noise, and whether your room is too hot or cold are common causes of poor sleep (NHS, n.d.a).
What your partner has noticed	Ask whether you snore, gasp or seem to stop breathing. If someone has seen these, it can help to bring them with you (NHS, n.d.b).
A daytime sleepiness score	The Epworth Sleepiness Scale scores how likely you are to doze off in everyday situations. It can't diagnose anything (Asthma + Lung UK, n.d.).

Print this diary and fill it in each morning for two weeks. Click the image to open it full size.

Using a sleep tracker?

Bring patterns from a few weeks, not nightly scores. Trackers are less reliable about sleep stages – see our guide to sleep stages. Our AI health data guide shows how to turn tracker data into questions for your GP.

If pain, the menopause or shift work affects your sleep

The NHS lists long-term pain, the menopause and shift work among the things that can cause poor sleep (NHS, n.d.a). Advice like "keep regular hours" may not work if you work nights or care for someone overnight – tell your GP what you can and can't change. If you live with arthritis or long-term pain, see our guide How much sleep do you need – and how to improve it. If you take methotrexate, our methotrexate timing guide explains why the day and time of your dose can matter.

During your appointment

It's fine to read from your notes. A clear opening helps your GP understand what you need straight away. Pick the one that fits:

If you can't sleep
"I'd like to talk about my sleep. For about [how long], I've been [struggling to fall asleep / waking in the night / waking too early]. It's affecting [my work / my mood / my driving]. I've kept a sleep diary for two weeks, which I've brought with me."

If you might have sleep apnoea
"My partner says I snore loudly and sometimes stop breathing in my sleep. I wake up tired and I'm very sleepy during the day. My Epworth score is [number]. Could this be sleep apnoea?"

If you want to ask about medicines
"I've been reading about sleep medicines, including melatonin. Would any of them be suitable for me? And could any of my current medicines be affecting my sleep?"

What your GP might suggest

Option	What it involves
Treating the cause	If there's an underlying health problem, treating it may be enough to improve your sleep (NHS inform, 2024).
Cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia (CBT-I)	Helps you change the thoughts and habits that keep you awake. It may be face to face with a therapist or through an online programme (NHS, n.d.a). The Sleep Charity describes it as the recommended first treatment for insomnia (The Sleep Charity, n.d.a).
Sleepio	An online CBT programme for sleep (NHS inform, 2024). NICE recommends it for insomnia in primary care (National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, 2022).
A sleep clinic referral	If you have signs of another sleep disorder, such as sleep apnoea (NHS, n.d.a).

Where to start in your nation

Nation	Help with sleep
England	Start with your GP. Sleepio is recommended by NICE (National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, 2022), so ask whether it's offered where you live.
Scotland	NHS inform has a sleep self-help guide and suggests trying Sleepio, an online CBT course (NHS inform, 2024).
Wales	Anyone over 16 can sign up for free online CBT (SilverCloud) without seeing a GP (Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board, 2025).
Northern Ireland	Start with your GP.

Asking about sleep medicines

Medicine	What to know
Sleep aids from a pharmacy	Some contain an antihistamine, others natural ingredients such as valerian or lavender. They can't cure insomnia and shouldn't be taken for more than 1 to 2 weeks (NHS, n.d.a).
Melatonin	Prescription only – you can't buy it over the counter in the UK. It's mainly used short-term for people aged 55 and over, and specialists sometimes prescribe it longer-term for sleep problems in some children and adults (NHS, n.d.d).
Sleeping pills	Now rarely prescribed, and only for a few days or weeks at most. They can have serious side effects, and you can become dependent on them (NHS, n.d.a).
Daridorexant (Quviviq) – a newer option	A prescription medicine for long-term insomnia that works by blocking a brain chemical that keeps you awake (NHS Bedfordshire, Luton and Milton Keynes, 2024). NICE recommends it for adults with symptoms at least 3 nights a week for 3 months or more that badly affect their day – but only if CBT for insomnia hasn't worked, or isn't available or suitable. It should be checked within 3 months and stopped if it isn't helping. Its effects beyond 12 months are unknown (National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, 2023).

If you're offered a choice, the NHS "Ask 3 Questions" approach can help you decide (NHS Think Kidneys, n.d.):

Ask 3 Questions

1. What are my options?
2. What are the pros and cons of each option for me?
3. How do I get support to help me make a decision that is right for me?

Sleepiness and driving

Falling asleep during the day – at work, watching TV or while driving – is "excessive sleepiness". You must not drive until it's under control. You must tell the DVLA if you have certain sleep conditions, including any sleep condition that has caused excessive sleepiness for at least three months. You can be fined up to £1,000 if you don't. Ask your doctor if you're not sure whether this applies to you (GOV.UK, n.d.). In Northern Ireland, driving licences are handled by the DVA rather than the DVLA.

More from Zero Jargon Health

Read our guides to sleep stages, sleep and anxiety: what actually helps and box breathing, and our posts on insomnia and sleep hygiene.

The bottom line

Poor sleep is worth talking about. Keep a two-week diary, note how it affects your day, bring your medicines list, and ask about your options. Afterwards, keep the diary going to see whether any treatment helps.

References

Asthma + Lung UK (n.d.) Epworth Sleepiness Scale. Available at: https://asthmaandlung.org.uk/conditions/obstructive-sleep-apnoea-osa/epworth-sleepiness-scale (Accessed: 29 September 2026).

Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board (2025) 41k referrals milestone for NHS Wales' digital mental health service. 12 November. Available at: https://bcuhb.nhs.wales/news/2025/41k-referrals-milestone-for-nhs-wales-digital-mental-health-service/ (Accessed: 29 September 2026).

GOV.UK (n.d.) Excessive sleepiness and driving. Available at: https://www.gov.uk/sleepiness-and-driving (Accessed: 29 September 2026).

Healthwatch Redbridge (2024) Accessing an interpreter when using the NHS. 14 February. Available at: https://www.healthwatchredbridge.co.uk/advice-and-information/2024-02-14/accessing-interpreter-when-using-nhs (Accessed: 29 September 2026).

National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (2022) Sleepio to treat insomnia and insomnia symptoms (HTG624). Available at: https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/htg624 (Accessed: 29 September 2026).

National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (2023) Daridorexant for treating long-term insomnia (TA922). Available at: https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/TA922/chapter/1-Recommendations (Accessed: 29 September 2026).

NHS (n.d.a) Insomnia. Available at: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/insomnia/ (Accessed: 29 September 2026).

NHS (n.d.b) Sleep apnoea. Available at: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/sleep-apnoea (Accessed: 29 September 2026).

NHS (n.d.c) Where to get urgent help for mental health. Available at: https://www.nhs.uk/nhs-services/mental-health-services/where-to-get-urgent-help-for-mental-health/ (Accessed: 29 September 2026).

NHS (n.d.d) About melatonin. Available at: https://www.nhs.uk/medicines/melatonin/about-melatonin/ (Accessed: 29 September 2026).

NHS 111 Wales (n.d.) Mental health and wellbeing. Available at: https://111.wales.nhs.uk/mentalhealth/ (Accessed: 29 September 2026).

NHS Bedfordshire, Luton and Milton Keynes (2024) Daridorexant prescribing support information. Available at: https://medicines.bedfordshirelutonandmiltonkeynes.icb.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Daridorexant-Prescribing-Support-Information-Final-February-2024.pdf (Accessed: 29 September 2026).

NHS Borders (n.d.) Get help now. Available at: https://www.nhsborders.scot.nhs.uk/creating-hope/get-help-now/ (Accessed: 29 September 2026).

NHS inform (2024) Insomnia. Last updated 31 May. Available at: https://www.nhsinform.scot/illnesses-and-conditions/mental-health/insomnia (Accessed: 29 September 2026).

NHS Think Kidneys (n.d.) Ask three questions. Available at: https://www.thinkkidneys.nhs.uk/ckd/toolsfor-change/ask-three-questions/ (Accessed: 29 September 2026).

nidirect (n.d.) Lifeline freephone helpline. Available at: https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/contacts/lifeline (Accessed: 29 September 2026).

The Sleep Charity (n.d.a) Insomnia. Available at: https://thesleepcharity.org.uk/information-support/adults/sleep-disorders/insomnia (Accessed: 29 September 2026).

The Sleep Charity (n.d.b) Sleep diary. Available at: https://thesleepcharity.org.uk/adults/sleep-diary/ (Accessed: 29 September 2026).

YoungMinds (n.d.) How to speak to your GP. Available at: https://www.youngminds.org.uk/young-person/your-guide-to-support/how-to-speak-to-your-gp/ (Accessed: 29 September 2026).

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Important medical disclaimer

The content provided in this blog post is for educational and informational purposes only and does not constitute professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your GP, psychiatrist or another qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this website. Never start, stop or change a prescribed medicine without speaking to your prescriber first.

Box breathing: how to do it, and does it really work?

When you're stressed, you tend to breathe fast and shallow. That can make you feel even more anxious (Cleveland Clinic, 2021). Box breathing is a simple way to slow things down. It takes about 16 seconds per round, needs no equipment, and you can do it anywhere – at your desk, on the bus or in bed.

Key insight

Box breathing won't fix the cause of your stress. But it's a free, quick tool that can help you feel calmer in the moment – and the evidence for breathing exercises, while still early, is encouraging.

What is box breathing?

Box breathing means breathing in, holding, breathing out and holding again, for a slow count of four each time. The four equal steps are like the four sides of a box. It's also called square breathing, four-square breathing or 4-4-4-4 breathing. It comes from yoga breathing practice (Cleveland Clinic, 2021). You may have heard that the US Navy SEALs use it – but that tells us it's popular, not that it works.

Follow the sides of the box, counting slowly to four on each side.

How to do it

Sit or lie comfortably. If you're sitting, rest your back against the chair and put your feet flat on the floor (Medical News Today, n.d.). Then:

Step	What to do
1. Empty your lungs	Breathe out slowly, letting all the air out (Cleveland Clinic, 2021).
2. Breathe in	Breathe in through your nose while you slowly count to four in your head. Notice the air filling your lungs and stomach (Cleveland Clinic, 2021).
3. Hold	Hold your breath for a count of four (Cleveland Clinic, 2021). Try not to clamp your mouth or nose shut (Medical News Today, n.d.).
4. Breathe out	Breathe out slowly for a count of four (Cleveland Clinic, 2021).
5. Hold	Hold again for a count of four, then start the next round (Cleveland Clinic, 2021).
6. Repeat	Do three to four rounds (Cleveland Clinic, 2021), or keep going for a few minutes until you feel calmer (Medical News Today, n.d.).

Tips: breathe gently and never strain. If counting to four is hard, try three instead. As it gets easier, you can slowly lengthen the count (Cleveland Clinic, 2021; Medical News Today, n.d.). It also helps to practise once or twice a day when you're calm, so it comes more easily when you're stressed (Cleveland Clinic, 2021).

Follow the dot. One full round takes 16 seconds.

When to use it

Moment	How it can help
Lying awake at night	A few rounds can give a busy mind something calm to focus on. See our guide to sleep stages.
Before a stressful appointment or meeting	Try three or four rounds while you wait.
When a feeling is building	Pause, breathe, then try naming what you feel with our feelings wheels.
When you're already calm	Practising once or twice a day makes it easier to use when you're stressed (Cleveland Clinic, 2021).

Why might it help?

Your body has two main settings. When you're stressed, your "fight or flight" system is on high alert. Slow, steady breathing can help switch you into your "rest and digest" system instead, which calms your body down. Silently counting also gives your mind something to focus on, a bit like a simple meditation (Cleveland Clinic, 2021).

What does the research say?

What we know	What the evidence shows
Breathing exercises can reduce stress	A 2023 review from the University of Sussex pooled 12 trials with 785 adults. People who did breathing exercises reported less stress than those who didn't. Most studies had some risk of bias, and the review looked at breathing exercises in general, not box breathing on its own (Fincham et al., 2023).
Box breathing may lift mood	In a month-long trial, people did five minutes a day of box breathing, another breathing exercise or mindfulness meditation. All groups felt better and less anxious (Balban et al., 2023). But the trial was run online with generally healthy volunteers (ClinicalTrials.gov, 2022), so researchers had less control over how people did the exercises.
It isn't proven to be the best method	In the same trial, an exercise with a long, slow breath out improved mood the most (Balban et al., 2023). But a small follow-up study of that exercise, not yet peer-reviewed, didn't find the same mood boost (Boucher and Dixon, 2024). Pick the method you find easiest to stick with.
It isn't a treatment on its own	If anxiety is affecting your daily life, talking therapies can help (NHS, n.d.b). Breathing exercises work best alongside support like this, not instead of it.

Other breathing exercises to try

If holding your breath feels uncomfortable, you don't have to. The NHS breathing exercise for stress skips the holds. Breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth, gently and regularly, counting from 1 to 5 each way if it helps. Keep going for at least 5 minutes (NHS, 2026). You could also try making your out-breath longer than your in-breath, which did especially well in the mood trial (Balban et al., 2023).

Box breathing and panic attacks

Panic attacks feel frightening, but they aren't dangerous and usually last 5 to 20 minutes. Mental health charity Rethink suggests riding it out, reminding yourself it will pass, and breathing deeply in and slowly out. It also suggests a version of box breathing with a longer out-breath: in for 4, hold for 4, out for 6, hold for 2 (Rethink Mental Illness, n.d.). If you're breathing too fast, an NHS leaflet uses a similar pattern – in for 4, hold for 4, out for 4 – but warns not to take too many deep breaths in a row, or you may feel dizzy (NHS Fife, n.d.).

If it's your first panic attack, or you're not sure it's panic, get medical help – see the chest pain advice below.

Box breathing for children

Children can draw the box instead of imagining it. They trace a square on paper, on a picture or in the air with a finger, breathing in up one side, holding along the top, breathing out down the other side and holding along the bottom. It can help to have a trusted adult talk them through it, and to practise when they're calm (Pembrokeshire County Council, n.d.). If four seconds feels too long, count to three instead (Medical News Today, n.d.).

Staying safe

If…	Do this
You feel dizzy or light-headed	This can happen when you start. Stop, breathe normally, and try sitting or lying down next time (Sherwood Forest Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, n.d.).
You have a breathing condition	Focusing on your breath may feel uncomfortable. Grounding exercises may suit you better (Sherwood Forest Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, n.d.). If you have a heart or lung condition, or you're pregnant, it's sensible to check with your GP or care team before holding your breath.
You're short of breath for no clear reason, or have chest pain	Don't assume it's stress. Call 999 if you have sudden chest pain that doesn't go away, pain that spreads to your arm, neck, jaw, stomach or back, or chest pain with sweating, feeling sick, light-headedness or shortness of breath (NHS, n.d.a).

Getting more help

If stress or anxiety is affecting your daily life, talk to your GP. You may also be able to get help directly:

Where you live	Help you can get yourself
England	Refer yourself to NHS Talking Therapies if you're 18 or over (16 or 17 in some areas), without a diagnosis (NHS, n.d.b).
Wales	Anyone over 16 can sign up for free online CBT (SilverCloud) without seeing a GP (Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board, 2025).
Scotland	Call Breathing Space free on 0800 83 85 87 if you're over 16 and feeling low or anxious. It's open Monday to Thursday, 6pm to 2am, and from 6pm Friday to 6am Monday (Breathing Space, n.d.).
Northern Ireland	Call Lifeline free on 0808 808 8000, 24 hours a day, if you're feeling anxious or in distress (nidirect, n.d.).
Anywhere in the UK	Samaritans is free to call on 116 123, day or night (Samaritans, n.d.).

More from Zero Jargon Health

Try our feelings wheels, and read our posts on anxiety, NHS Talking Therapies and sleep problems.

The bottom line

Box breathing is simple: in for four, hold for four, out for four, hold for four. It's free, it takes seconds, and research suggests breathing exercises can take the edge off stress. Just breathe gently, stop if you feel dizzy, and use it alongside – not instead of – other support if you need it.

References

Balban, M.Y., Neri, E., Kogon, M.M., Weed, L., Nouriani, B., Jo, B., Holl, G., Zeitzer, J.M., Spiegel, D. and Huberman, A.D. (2023) 'Brief structured respiration practices enhance mood and reduce physiological arousal', Cell Reports Medicine, 4(1), 100895. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.xcrm.2022.100895 (Accessed: 29 September 2026).

Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board (2025) 41k referrals milestone for NHS Wales' digital mental health service. 12 November. Available at: https://bcuhb.nhs.wales/news/2025/41k-referrals-milestone-for-nhs-wales-digital-mental-health-service/ (Accessed: 29 September 2026).

Boucher, I. and Dixon, M.J. (2024) The effects of cyclic sighing on heart rate variability, resting breathing rate, and mood [Conference poster]. University of Waterloo Psychology Discovery Conference. Available at: https://uwaterloo.ca/psychology-discovery-conference/sites/default/files/uploads/documents/boucher_pdc_2024.pdf (Accessed: 29 September 2026).

Breathing Space (n.d.) Need help now? Call free on 0800 83 85 87. Available at: https://breathingspace.scot/ (Accessed: 29 September 2026).

Cleveland Clinic (2021) How box breathing can help you destress. 17 August. Available at: https://health.clevelandclinic.org/box-breathing-benefits (Accessed: 29 September 2026).

ClinicalTrials.gov (2022) Psychophysiological effects of controlled respiration and mindfulness (NCT05304000). Available at: https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT05304000 (Accessed: 29 September 2026).

Fincham, G.W., Strauss, C., Montero-Marin, J. and Cavanagh, K. (2023) 'Effect of breathwork on stress and mental health: a meta-analysis of randomised-controlled trials', Scientific Reports, 13, 432. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-27247-y (Accessed: 29 September 2026).

Medical News Today (n.d.) Box breathing: how to do it and benefits. Available at: https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/321805 (Accessed: 29 September 2026).

NHS (2026) Breathing exercises for stress. Last reviewed 12 June. Available at: https://www.nhs.uk/mental-health/self-help/guides-tools-and-activities/breathing-exercises-for-stress/ (Accessed: 29 September 2026).

NHS (n.d.a) Chest pain. Available at: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/chest-pain/ (Accessed: 29 September 2026).

NHS (n.d.b) Find NHS talking therapies for anxiety and depression. Available at: https://www.nhs.uk/service-search/mental-health/find-an-nhs-talking-therapies-service (Accessed: 29 September 2026).

NHS Fife (n.d.) Hyperventilation [Leaflet]. Available at: https://www.nhsfife.org/media/34651/hyperventillationmoodcafe.doc (Accessed: 29 September 2026).

nidirect (n.d.) Lifeline freephone helpline. Available at: https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/contacts/lifeline (Accessed: 29 September 2026).

Pembrokeshire County Council (n.d.) Emotionally-based school avoidance: calming strategies. Available at: https://www.pembrokeshire.gov.uk/emotionally-based-school-avoidance/calming-strategies (Accessed: 29 September 2026).

Rethink Mental Illness (n.d.) How do I manage a panic attack?. Available at: https://rethink.org/advice-and-information/get-help-now/self-help-guides-for-urgent-help/how-do-i-manage-a-panic-attack/ (Accessed: 29 September 2026).

Samaritans (n.d.) Contact us. Available at: https://www.samaritans.org/how-we-can-help/contact-samaritan/ (Accessed: 29 September 2026).

Sherwood Forest Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (n.d.) Breathing exercises [Leaflet]. Available at: https://sfh-tr.nhs.uk/media/o3fpizwx/breathing-exercises-leaflet.pdf (Accessed: 29 September 2026).

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Important medical disclaimer

The content provided in this blog post is for educational and informational purposes only and does not constitute professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your GP, psychiatrist or another qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this website. Never start, stop or change a prescribed medicine without speaking to your prescriber first.

Sleep stages explained: what your sleep tracker is really telling you

We spend about a third of our lives asleep (NINDS, 2025). But sleep isn't one even state: your brain moves through different stages during the night.

Millions of people now track their sleep with phones, watches and rings (NINDS, 2025). This guide explains the stages in plain English, using the names Apple Health shows, what other trackers call them, and how far you can trust the numbers.

Key insight

Most sleep trackers estimate your sleep stages – they don't measure them directly. Treat the numbers as a guide to patterns over weeks, not a verdict on one night.

The four sleep stages in Apple Health

Scientists divide sleep into REM (rapid eye movement) sleep and three non-REM stages (NINDS, 2025). Apple Health groups these into four stages, and Apple Watch sorts every 30 seconds of your night into one of them (Apple, 2025).

Apple Health stage	What happens
Awake	Time awake during the night. Brief wake-ups are common in normal sleep, and you may not remember them (Apple, 2025).
Core	Apple's name for non-REM stages 1 and 2: dozing off and light sleep (Apple, 2025). Your heartbeat and breathing slow and your temperature drops. You spend more time here than in any other stage (NINDS, 2025).
Deep	Non-REM stage 3 (Apple, 2025), the deep sleep you need to feel refreshed. Your heartbeat and breathing are at their slowest, and you may be hard to wake (NINDS, 2025).
REM	Your eyes move quickly behind closed eyelids and your brain becomes more active. Most dreams happen here, and your arm and leg muscles are temporarily paralysed so you don't act them out (NINDS, 2025).

What other trackers call each stage

Different brands use slightly different names for the same stages:

Apple Health	Oura and Fitbit	Sleep science
Awake	Awake	Wake
Core	Light	Non-REM stages 1 and 2
Deep	Deep	Non-REM stage 3
REM	REM	REM

Apple chose "Core" rather than "light" because this stage is a normal and important part of sleep (Apple, 2025). Oura and Fitbit sort sleep into wake, light, deep and REM (Robbins et al., 2024).

How the stages fit together

You cycle through the stages several times during a typical night (NINDS, 2025). REM sleep first starts about 90 minutes after you fall asleep, and REM periods get longer later in the night. Deep sleep comes in longer stretches during the first half of the night. As you get older, you spend less time in REM sleep (NINDS, 2025).

An illustration of how sleep stages repeat through a typical night.

There's no single "right" amount of each stage. In the adults Apple used to test its watch, full sleep studies found an average of about 66% Core, 21% REM and 13% Deep sleep, but individual nights varied widely (Apple, 2025). On average, adults need 7 to 9 hours of sleep in total. If you're constantly tired during the day, you're probably not getting enough (NHS, 2025a).

Apps and devices you can use

Smart technology can record sounds and movement, hours slept, heartbeat and breathing (NINDS, 2025).

Type	What it does
Smartwatches and fitness bands	Apple Watch estimates REM, Core and Deep sleep and when you might have woken (Apple, n.d.). Fitbit is another popular example (Robbins et al., 2024).
Smart rings	Worn on a finger. The Oura Ring also estimates sleep stages (Robbins et al., 2024).
Bedside monitors and headbands	Track sleep without a watch (NINDS, 2025).
Phone apps	Record sounds and movement (NINDS, 2025).
Sleepio (for insomnia)	A six-week digital cognitive behavioural therapy programme with a sleep diary (HTN, 2022). NICE recommends it for adults with insomnia in primary care (NICE, 2022). Ask your GP if it's available in your area.
Sleep study (polysomnogram)	The gold standard, arranged by your doctor. It records brain waves, breathing, oxygen levels, heart rate and movements, usually overnight at a sleep centre (NINDS, 2025).

How accurate are sleep trackers?

In a 2024 study, 35 healthy adults wore an Oura Ring, a Fitbit and an Apple Watch during a night in a sleep lab. All three detected sleep at least 95% of the time. But they were much less reliable at identifying the exact stage, correctly spotting between 50% and 86% of it depending on the device and stage (Robbins et al., 2024). Oura funded the study (Sleep Review, 2024), and the volunteers were healthy adults aged 20 to 50, so results may differ for older people or those with health conditions.

Apple's own testing found deep sleep was most often mislabelled as Core (Apple, 2025). Bear in mind this comes from Apple's report on its own product. Either way, your tracker is good at knowing whether you slept, but its stage breakdown is an educated guess.

Don't let the numbers keep you awake

Sleep doctors have described patients so focused on "perfect" tracker scores that the worry made their sleep worse. They called this orthosomnia (Baron et al., 2017). If checking your data makes you anxious, take a break from it.

Signs to talk to a GP about

A tracker can't diagnose a sleep disorder. See a GP if your breathing stops and starts while you sleep, you make gasping, snorting or choking noises, or you always feel very tired during the day. These can be signs of sleep apnoea, which can be serious if it isn't treated. If someone has seen these symptoms, it can help to bring them with you (NHS, 2025b).

Also see a GP if changing your sleeping habits hasn't helped, you've had trouble sleeping for months, or poor sleep is making it hard to cope. You may be offered cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), face to face or online (NHS, 2025a).

Feeling sleepy? Don't drive

The NHS advises not to drive when you feel sleepy (NHS, 2025a).

Want to go further?

Our guide to using AI to understand your sleep and health data shows how to combine your tracker data with medicines and lifestyle notes – safely.

More from Zero Jargon Health

Read our posts on sleep hygiene and insomnia.

The bottom line

Each night you cycle through Core, Deep and REM sleep several times, with brief spells awake. Trackers are good at spotting when you sleep, less good at naming each stage. Use them for patterns, not perfection – and talk to a GP about anything that worries you.

References

Apple (2025) Estimating sleep stages from Apple Watch. Updated October. Available at: https://www.apple.com/kr/health/pdf/Estimating_Sleep_Stages_from_Apple_Watch_Oct_2025.pdf (Accessed: 29 September 2026).

Apple (n.d.) Track your sleep with Apple Watch. Apple Watch User Guide. Available at: https://support.apple.com/guide/watch/apd830528336 (Accessed: 29 September 2026).

Baron, K.G., Abbott, S., Jao, N., Manalo, N. and Mullen, R. (2017) 'Orthosomnia: are some patients taking the quantified self too far?', Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine, 13(2), pp. 351–354. Available at: https://doi.org/10.5664/jcsm.6472 (Accessed: 29 September 2026).

HTN (2022) NICE recommend digital self-help programme Sleepio to treat insomnia. 24 May. Available at: https://htn.co.uk/2022/05/24/nice-recommend-digital-self-help-programme-sleepio-to-treat-insomnia/ (Accessed: 29 September 2026).

National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (2022) Sleepio to treat insomnia and insomnia symptoms (HTG624). Available at: https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/htg624 (Accessed: 29 September 2026).

NHS (2025a) Insomnia. Last reviewed 12 November. Available at: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/insomnia/ (Accessed: 29 September 2026).

NHS (2025b) Sleep apnoea. Available at: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/sleep-apnoea (Accessed: 29 September 2026).

NINDS – National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (2025) Brain basics: understanding sleep. Last reviewed 25 February. Available at: https://www.ninds.nih.gov/health-information/public-education/brain-basics/brain-basics-understanding-sleep (Accessed: 29 September 2026).

Robbins, R. et al. (2024) 'Accuracy of three commercial wearable devices for sleep tracking in healthy adults', Sensors, 24(20), 6532. Available at: https://doi.org/10.3390/s24206532 (Accessed: 29 September 2026).

Sleep Review (2024) Oura Ring, Apple Watch, and Fitbit tested against PSG in sleep accuracy study. Available at: https://sleepreviewmag.com/sleep-diagnostics/consumer-sleep-tracking/wearable-sleep-trackers/oura-ring-apple-watch-fitbit-face-off-sleep-accuracy-study/ (Accessed: 29 September 2026).

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Important medical disclaimer

The content provided in this blog post is for educational and informational purposes only and does not constitute professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your GP, psychiatrist or another qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this website. Never start, stop or change a prescribed medicine without speaking to your prescriber first.

How to use AI to understand your sleep and health data – safely

Your sleep tracker collects a lot of numbers. On their own, they don't tell you much. But put them alongside notes about your medicines, caffeine, exercise and stress, and patterns start to appear. AI chatbots such as ChatGPT or Claude can help you find them.

This guide uses sleep as the example, but the same method works for other health data, such as blood pressure readings. If you're new to sleep stages, start with our guide to sleep stages explained.

Key insight

AI is good at spotting patterns, not proving causes. Use what it finds as questions to discuss with your GP or pharmacist – never as a diagnosis.

What AI can and can't do

Many things affect sleep, including medical conditions, medicines, stress, your bedroom, and what you eat and drink (NINDS, 2025). An AI tool can compare weeks of your data against notes like these and point out links you might miss.

Patterns aren't proof

If you sleep badly on days you drink coffee late, the coffee might be to blame – or a stressful day might have caused both the coffee and the bad night. Two things happening together doesn't mean one causes the other.

Before you start: protect your privacy

UK law treats health information as "special category" data. That means organisations must take extra care with it (Information Commissioner's Office, 2024). But once you choose to share it with an AI tool, what happens to it depends on that company's terms. The responsibility is yours, so:

Do this	Why
Check the training setting	Look in your AI tool's settings for whether your chats are used to train its models, and turn this off if you can.
Cover up personal details	Before uploading, cover or delete your name, date of birth, address and NHS number – including on letters and PDFs.
Keep your folder private	In Google Drive, keep sharing set to Restricted so only you can open it.
Share only what's needed	A few weeks of summaries is usually enough. You don't need to upload your whole record.

Step by step

Step 1: Collect two to four weeks of sleep data – time asleep, time awake, and your REM, Core and Deep sleep.

Step 2: Keep a simple daily log alongside it. These are the most useful things to note:

What to log	Why it matters
Medicines, including dose or timing changes	Many medicines can cause sleep problems (NHS, 2025).
Caffeine, alcohol and nicotine	All three are common causes of poor sleep (NHS, 2025).
Exercise	Best avoided within a few hours of bedtime (NINDS, 2025).
Screens and light	Light can make it harder to fall asleep (NINDS, 2025).
Stress, anxiety or depression	Among the most common causes of insomnia (NHS, 2025).
Shift work, travel and bedroom	Shifts, jet lag, noise and a room that's too hot or cold can all cause poor sleep (NHS, 2025).
Pain or other symptoms	Medical conditions can affect how you sleep (NINDS, 2025).

Step 3: Organise everything in one Google Drive folder (see below).

Step 4: Ask the AI to analyse it, using the prompt below.

Step 5: Take anything important to your GP or pharmacist.

Set up your Google Drive folder

Keeping everything in one folder makes the AI's job much easier. Use Google Sheets for anything in rows and columns, and Google Docs for instructions and notes. If your AI tool can connect to Google Drive, it can open the files directly. If not, download and upload them. Start file names with the date so they sort in order.

An example folder structure. Start file names with the date.

Save time with our template

Open our Google Drive template. It has the folders, blank sheets with headings, and the READ ME FIRST document. Google Drive can't copy a whole folder at once, so create the folders in your own Drive, then right-click each file and choose Make a copy.

In each Google Sheet, put headings in row 1 and one day (or one change) per row, like this:

Example sheets. Use labels like "Medicine A" if you prefer not to name your medicines.

Adding data from your phone, GP and hospital

iPhone (Apple Health): open the Health app, tap your profile picture, then tap Export All Health Data (Apple, n.d.a). The data is saved in XML, a common format for sharing data between apps (Apple, n.d.b). Choose Google Drive and save it in the Raw exports folder. The file can be very large, so keep the summary sheet too.

Android (Health Connect): on Android 14 and above, you can schedule a daily, weekly or monthly export. Your data is bundled into a ZIP file and saved to a cloud storage app of your choice, such as Google Drive (Google, n.d.).

GP records depend on where you live:

Nation	How to get your records
England	In the NHS App, Documents holds items such as referral letters, discharge documents and hospital outcome letters. Some need downloading to view (NHS England, n.d.a). Appointment notes, your medicines record and test results can be viewed in your GP health record. If you can't see them, ask your GP surgery for access to your detailed record (NHS England, n.d.b). Log in through a web browser, open the page, choose Print, then Save as PDF.
Wales	The NHS Wales App, on your phone or the web, lets you view your GP record, including test results where available (Pengam Health Centre, n.d.). Use Print and Save as PDF in the same way.
Scotland and Northern Ireland	Ask your GP practice for a copy of your records. This is called a subject access request. It's usually free and should be answered within one month (NHS Kent and Medway, n.d.).

Hospital patient portals: many hospitals also share letters and results through their own online portals. Patients Know Best, for example, can show your appointments, letters, test results, medication lists and care plans, on its website or through the NHS App. What you can see depends on how your hospital uses it (Patients Know Best, n.d.). Other hospitals use portals such as DrDoctor, where you can view or download your letters (Barts Health NHS Trust, n.d.). Download what you can, or use Print and Save as PDF, and save the files in the Hospital portal downloads folder.

The NHS advises only downloading medical documents onto a device only you can access (NHS England, n.d.a). Google Drive is online storage, so keep your folder Restricted and protect your Google account with a strong password and two-step verification. Cover your personal details before sharing any document with an AI tool.

The READ ME FIRST document and prompt

This document tells the AI what's in each file and what to do. Copy and adapt this example:

Please read every file in this folder before answering.
- Tracker data: nightly sleep from Apple Health (Awake, REM, Core, Deep). Sleep stages are estimates. Raw exports holds my full export - use it to check or fill gaps in the summaries.
- Daily log: one row per day. Stress and pain are scored 1 (low) to 5 (high).
- Medicine changes: every change, with the date it happened.
- NHS records: letters, appointment notes, medicines, test results and downloads from hospital portals. Use them for dates and context only.

What I'd like you to do:
1. Look for links between my daily log and my sleep.
2. Compare the two weeks before and after each medicine change.
3. For every pattern, point to the exact dates and rows it's based on.
4. Say how confident you are, and remember that a pattern doesn't prove a cause.
5. Don't diagnose anything or give medical advice. Instead, list questions I can ask my GP or pharmacist, and add them to Notes > Questions for my GP.

Then ask: "Please follow the READ ME FIRST document in my Sleep analysis folder."

Staying safe

Rule	Why
Never change medicines based on AI	Always speak to your prescriber before starting, stopping or changing a medicine, including when you take it.
The data is an estimate	Sleep trackers often guess stages wrongly (Robbins et al., 2024), and the AI's analysis will only be as good as the data.
Check what it tells you	AI can sound confident and still be wrong. Check health claims against trusted sources such as the NHS.
Don't use it to diagnose	Sleep disorders such as sleep apnoea need a doctor, sometimes with a referral to a sleep clinic (NHS, 2025).

More from Zero Jargon Health

Read our guide to sleep stages explained, our posts on insomnia, and our guide to timing your methotrexate dose.

The bottom line

AI can turn weeks of scattered numbers into useful questions. Keep your data organised and private, ask the AI to show its working, and treat what it finds as a starting point for a conversation with your GP – not the final word.

References

Apple (n.d.a) Health app & privacy. Available at: https://www.apple.com/legal/privacy/data/en/health-app/ (Accessed: 29 September 2026).

Apple (n.d.b) Share your health data on iPhone. iPhone User Guide. Available at: https://support.apple.com/bn-in/guide/iphone/iph27f6325b2/13.0 (Accessed: 29 September 2026).

Barts Health NHS Trust (n.d.) Using the NHS App and digital letters. Available at: https://www.bartshealth.nhs.uk/nhs-app (Accessed: 29 September 2026).

Google (n.d.) Back up and restore your Health Connect data. Android Help. Available at: https://support.google.com/android/answer/15323271?hl=EN-GB (Accessed: 29 September 2026).

Information Commissioner's Office (2024) What is special category data? Updated 9 April. Available at: https://ico.org.uk/for-organisations/uk-gdpr-guidance-and-resources/lawful-basis/special-category-data/what-is-special-category-data (Accessed: 29 September 2026).

NHS (2025) Insomnia. Last reviewed 12 November. Available at: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/insomnia/ (Accessed: 29 September 2026).

NHS England (n.d.a) Viewing documents. NHS App help. Available at: https://www.nhs.uk/nhs-app/help/documents/ (Accessed: 29 September 2026).

NHS England (n.d.b) GP health record. NHS App help. Available at: https://www.nhs.uk/nhs-app/help/health-records-in-the-nhs-app/gp-health-record/ (Accessed: 29 September 2026).

NHS Kent and Medway (n.d.) Subject access requests. Available at: https://www.kentandmedway.icb.nhs.uk/subject-access-requests (Accessed: 29 September 2026).

NINDS – National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (2025) Brain basics: understanding sleep. Last reviewed 25 February. Available at: https://www.ninds.nih.gov/health-information/public-education/brain-basics/brain-basics-understanding-sleep (Accessed: 29 September 2026).

Patients Know Best (n.d.) The Patients Know Best patient-controlled patient portal. Available at: https://patientsknowbest.com/patients/ (Accessed: 29 September 2026).

Pengam Health Centre (n.d.) NHS Wales App – manage your health online. Available at: https://www.pengamhealthcentre.wales.nhs.uk/news/1681-nhs-wales-app-manage-your-health-online (Accessed: 29 September 2026).

Robbins, R. et al. (2024) 'Accuracy of three commercial wearable devices for sleep tracking in healthy adults', Sensors, 24(20), 6532. Available at: https://doi.org/10.3390/s24206532 (Accessed: 29 September 2026).

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Join the Zero Jargon Health Community

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Important medical disclaimer

The content provided in this blog post is for educational and informational purposes only and does not constitute professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your GP, psychiatrist or another qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this website. Never start, stop or change a prescribed medicine without speaking to your prescriber first.