How to estimate sleep efficiency
Use one night from a sleep diary.
1
Record time in bed
Count from lights out to getting up, not just the hours asleep.
2
Add sleep latency
Estimate how long it took to fall asleep after lights out.
3
Add night wake time
Total the minutes awake during the night, even if brief.
What does this tool do?
Sleep efficiency is the percentage of time in bed that is actually spent asleep. It falls when falling asleep takes long or when night wake time is high, and it is a common measure in sleep diaries.
The Formula
Sleep efficiency = (time in bed − sleep latency − night wake time) ÷ time in bed × 100Frequently Asked Questions
What is a good sleep efficiency?
Around 85% or higher is generally considered good. Values below 75% mean a large share of time in bed is spent awake.
Is lying awake included?
Yes. Time in bed includes sleep latency and any wake time during the night, which is why it differs from total sleep time.