Free printable seizure diary templates (PDF & spreadsheet)
Download a ready-to-use seizure log sheet, print it, and start recording today — free, no sign-up required.
A written seizure diary is one of the most useful things you can bring to a neurology appointment. Recording each seizure — when it happened, how long it lasted, and what came before it — helps you and your care team spot patterns and judge whether treatment is working. If seizure tracking is new to you, our guide to keeping a seizure diary explains what a good record looks like.
Pick the format you'll actually keep up
All three cover the same columns doctors ask about. Paper is a fine way to start. The app is the one that's still going after week one.
Printable PDF
One week per page. Keep it on the fridge or in a bag.
Spreadsheet
.xlsx for Excel, Numbers or Google Sheets. Sort any column.
The app Recommended
It remembers so you don't have to: an alarm for every dose, charts that build themselves, and a report ready before your appointment.
This page links the English files. Every language version of this page links its own files — use the language switcher at the top of the page.
Write it once. Let it become a report.
A paper sheet stores what you wrote. The app does something with it: every entry you'd put in these columns becomes a chart, a trend, and a two-page PDF your neurologist can read in the few minutes you get.
↓ the same three entries, in the app ↓
A real report exported from Epilepsy Mate. Bring it to your appointment, or send it ahead.
What paper can't do
Paper is honest and needs no battery. Here's exactly where the app earns its place.
Remembering the dose
Seeing the pattern
Being there on the day
Answering the doctor's question
Ask your diary a question
Once your entries are in the app, the AI Seizure Coach can answer questions about your own records, the ones you'd otherwise flip pages to work out before an appointment.
It explains your records. It never gives medical advice.
Try free for 7 days
What to record after every seizure
You do not need long paragraphs. A few honest details written down soon after each seizure are worth more than a perfect report written from memory a week later.
- Date and time. Note when the seizure started, even roughly. Time-of-day patterns are often the first thing a neurologist looks for.
- Duration. Estimate how long the seizure itself lasted, separate from the recovery time afterwards.
- Seizure type or description. Use the name your doctor gave you, or simply describe what happened in your own words.
- Possible trigger. Missed sleep, stress, illness, alcohol, flashing lights, a missed dose — write down anything unusual in the hours before.
- Medication taken. Record your regular doses and anything taken because of the seizure, so the diary matches your prescription history.
- Warning signs (aura). Any unusual feeling, smell, or sensation before the seizure is worth a note.
- Recovery. How you felt afterwards and how long it took to feel normal again.
- Seizure-free days. A quick tick on days with no seizures makes improvement visible.
Important: a convulsive seizure lasting longer than 5 minutes is a medical emergency — call emergency services. The diary is for afterwards; never delay help to take notes.
No file handy? Print this page
The blank table below is formatted to print cleanly on a single page, straight from your browser — handy on a shared computer or when you just need one week's sheet quickly.
Seizure diary — one week
| Date | Time | Duration | Seizure type | Possible trigger | Medication taken | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Frequently asked questions
How do I use a seizure diary template?
Print the PDF or open the spreadsheet, then fill in one row per seizure with the date, time, duration, type, possible trigger, medication taken, and any notes. Keep the sheet somewhere visible, and bring it — or a photo of it — to every appointment.
Can I use paper and the app together?
Yes, and many people do. Paper at school or in a care home where staff can fill in a row; the app for reminders, charts and the report. Add the paper entries to the app when you get them, so the report stays complete.
What if I forget to fill it in for a few days?
Gaps are normal. Simply start again rather than reconstructing days from memory: record what you reliably know, note the gap, and keep going. Even a partial diary shows patterns — and seizure-free days matter to your doctor too.
Is a paper diary or an app better?
The best diary is the one you actually keep. Paper is simple and needs no battery; an app like Epilepsy Mate adds reminders, charts, and PDF reports, and cannot be lost like a sheet of paper. Neither detects nor predicts seizures — both simply record them. Many people use paper at home and the app when out.
Can school staff or caregivers fill in the template?
Yes. Anyone who witnesses a seizure can complete a row — that is one of the template's biggest strengths, since many people cannot describe their own seizures. Teachers, family, and caregivers can keep a sheet and hand it over, so the record stays complete across home and school.
Ready to let the app take over?
It remembers the doses, does the counting, and builds the report by itself. On iPhone, Android, your watch and the web. Free for 7 days.
Get Epilepsy MateIt's a diary, not a medical device. It doesn't detect or predict seizures.