How do you track your period?
To track your period, write down the first day of real bleeding each month, then count the days until the next first day: that's your cycle length. Add how many days you bleed and how heavy it is. For a fuller picture, log symptoms and mood daily too. After three cycles you'll see your average and your usual range.
The basics, step by step
- Mark day 1. The first day of real flow, not spotting.
- Log each bleeding day and how heavy it is (light, medium, heavy).
- Mark the next day 1. Count the days between: that's your cycle length.
- Repeat for three cycles. Work out your average and your shortest and longest cycles.
- Use the average to predict. Our period calculator and cycle length calculator do the math.
What else is worth tracking
| What to log | Why it helps |
|---|---|
| Spotting | Keeps day 1 accurate; shows patterns before periods or mid-cycle |
| Pain and cramps | Shows whether pain is getting worse; useful for a doctor |
| Mood (one quick rating a day) | Reveals PMS timing and your harder days |
| Energy and sleep | Helps you plan around low days |
| Discharge, LH tests, temperature | Helps estimate ovulation |
| Medicines, contraception, illness, travel | Explains unusual cycles |
You don't need all of this. Start with period dates and a daily mood rating; add more only if it's useful to you.
Paper or app?
A paper diary is private and simple: try our period tracker printable. An app does the counting, predicts your next period and fertile window, and shows patterns over months. If you choose an app, check where it stores your data: see is my period tracker private.
How tracking helps your mood
Once you've logged mood for two or three cycles, you'll often see a clear pattern: lighter, more energetic days after your period, and harder days in the week before it. Seeing that pattern turns random-feeling bad days into something you can expect and plan around, and gives a doctor real data if PMS or PMDD is a concern. See mood tracking through your cycle.
In Lulu, a check-in is one tap for mood and a tap on a bunny drawing for each symptom. Lulu does the counting and learns your pattern.
Bring your log to a doctor if cycles are often shorter than 21 or longer than 35 days, if you bleed more than 7 days or very heavily, if you bleed between periods or after sex, or if PMS disrupts your life.
Frequently asked questions
What day do I start counting my cycle?
Day 1 is the first day of real bleeding. See what is cycle day 1.
How many cycles do I need to track?
Three gives a useful average. Six shows your real range more clearly.
Are period apps accurate?
They're as accurate as the data you give them and how regular your cycles are. See are period trackers accurate.
How do I track ovulation?
Combine cycle dates with discharge, LH tests or temperature. See how to track ovulation.
Sources
- ACOG: Menstruation in Girls and Adolescents: Using the Menstrual Cycle as a Vital Sign
- NHS: Periods
- Office on Women's Health: Your menstrual cycle
This page is for information only and isn鈥檛 medical advice. If something worries you, please talk to a doctor.
Keep reading
Printable period tracker: a simple layout you can copyA free printable period tracker layout: what columns to include, how to fill it in, and how to read your chart after three months. Print this page or copy it.Period calculator: when is my next period?Free period calculator: enter the first day of your last period and your cycle length to see your next 6 periods. Private, instant, nothing is stored.
How to track your mood with your cycle (and actually learn something)Use a mood tracker with your period to see your real pattern: what to log, how long to track, how to read it, and how to bring a chart to your doctor.Are period trackers accurate? What they get right and wrongAre period trackers accurate? Usually within a few days for your next period, much less for ovulation. What drives accuracy and how to read your app wisely.
Is my period tracker private? How to choose a safe oneLooking for the safest period tracker app? 6 checks to see if your tracker is private: storage, accounts, trackers, sharing and deletion. Plus how Lulu works.