Final answer:
In a patient's report, the sleep duration should be documented with the exact times of sleep onset and awakening, stating the patient slept from 1:00 AM to 4:30 AM for a total of 3.5 hours.
Step-by-step explanation:
The best way to record the sleep duration in a patient's report is to note the exact times the patient fell asleep and awoke. For the given scenario, it should be documented in the report as: "Patient reported sleep onset at approximately 1:00 AM and awakening at 4:30 AM, yielding an estimated total sleep time of 3.5 hours." This precise documentation provides a clear record of the patient's sleep pattern, which can be important for medical evaluations, particularly in studies that are assessing the impact of interventions like new medication on sleep duration and quality.