According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), at least 40 million Americans each year suffer from chronic, long-term sleep disorders, and an additional 20 million experience occasional sleeping problems. These disorders and the resulting sleep deprivation interfere with work, driving and social activities.
The questionnaire below - called the Epworth Sleepiness Scale - was developed by Dr. Murray Johns of Melbourne, Australia, to measure daytime sleepiness. The following questions will ask how likely are you to doze off or fall asleep in the certain situations, in contrast to just feeling tired.
Please remember that the Epworth Sleepiness Scale can't give you a diagnosis, but it can help you determine whether you need to be tested further for a more serious sleep disorder. Doctors use the scale to measure how sleepy a person generally is, and to decide whether he or she needs a full evaluation or sleep study - particularly those with potential sleep apnea or narcolepsy.
Use the following scale to choose the most appropriate number, as it best applies to you.
0 = would never doze
1 = slight chance of dozing
2 = moderate change of dozing
3 = high chance of dozing
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| Sitting and Reading |
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| Watching TV |
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Sitting inactive, in a public place
(e.g. a theater or meeting) |
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| As a passenger in a car for an hour without a break |
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| Lying down to rest in the afternoon when circumstances permit |
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| Sitting and talking to someone |
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| Sitting quietly after a lunch with no alcohol |
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| In a car, while stopped for a few minutes in traffic |
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To total your sleepiness score, add the points. Click on the link to the right of this page to see how sleepy you are.
John MW. Reliability and factor analysis of the Epworth Sleepiness Scale. Sleep 1992;15:376-381.