When I think of data, my first thought is information that explains something. This is an accurate description of data, but it can also be information that allows us to explore possibilities. Previously, I completed a Dear Data project in which I explained my music-listening habits. For my second Dear Data project, I decided to explore what factors contribute to my tiredness when I wake up in the morning.

Tiredness Data

I wrote down how tired I felt each morning for two weeks. Using a scale of 1-10, from least tired to most tired, I noted where on the scale I was each morning. Along with the number, I wrote things I did the previous day and evening that could’ve impacted my sleep.

Screens are a commonly talked about culprit behind poor sleep, and although I do put my phone and computer away at a certain point every night, I can’t resist watching TV. My data proves this is true because I watched TV before bed every night. Other factors I considered that could be affecting my sleep, and therefore my tiredness in the morning, are whether the TV was actually turned off when I fall asleep, how many hours I slept, and what my activities were the previous day.

Visualizing My Data

I used color and symbols to clearly portray my data. Starting with a Z, the letter most often associated with sleep, I decided to base the number of Zs on the number I put for the tiredness scale. This makes it easy to see how tired I was each day. I used the color of the Zs to represent how many hours of sleep I got. The symbols used all represent the different factors that could’ve contributed to me feeling tired.

Exploring My Data

Once my data was visualized, I could try to explore possible answers to my question: What makes me feel tired in the morning? The only days I was a 1 on the tiredness scale were both Mondays after restful Sundays and at least 8 hours of sleep. It makes sense that I feel the most awake on Mondays after being able to recharge over the weekend. The only days I was a 2 on the tiredness scale were during the week and after at least 8 hours of sleep with no other factors, besides one day where I noted that immediate stress due to a text message I received upon waking made me feel more awake.

In the days when I felt more tired and landed in the 3-6 range on the scale, different factors came into play. Alcohol consumption, less than 8 hours of sleep, and a busy or stressful previous day all seem to be what negatively affects me the most the next morning. Lucky for me, this data confirms that I can watch TV every night before bed without guilt.