Sleep
Daytime sleepiness
8 questions · 2 min
This short questionnaire is used by doctors and sleep clinics all over the world to measure daytime sleepiness. It asks how likely you’d be to nod off in eight everyday situations, from reading to sitting in traffic.
It’s about actually dozing off, not just feeling tired. It’s a useful starting point for a conversation with a doctor if you often feel sleepy during the day.
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What it shows
How likely you are to doze off during the day in everyday situations.
What it doesn’t
A diagnosis, or the reason you might feel sleepy.
Who it’s for
This check may be useful if you often feel drowsy during the day, find yourself nodding off while reading or watching TV, or someone has noticed you dozing at odd moments. It’s also a simple way to put a number on how sleepy you feel before seeing a GP.
If you’ve changed something about your sleep, such as your routine or a treatment, taking it again later can show whether your daytime sleepiness is easing.
Questions people ask
What does the Epworth Sleepiness Scale measure?
It measures how likely you are to actually doze off during the day, not just how tired you feel. You rate eight everyday situations, such as sitting and reading, being a passenger in a car, or sitting quietly after lunch.
How long does the ESS take?
There are eight questions and it takes about 2 minutes. If you haven’t been in one of the situations recently, you just imagine how it would affect you.
How is the Epworth Sleepiness Scale scored?
Each situation is scored from 0 (would never doze) to 3 (high chance of dozing), giving a total from 0 to 24. Totals up to 10 are common. From 11 you’re sleepier during the day than most people, and 16 or more means you’re very sleepy.
Is this a diagnosis?
No. It shows how sleepy you are during the day, but not why, and it can’t tell whether you have a sleep condition. A doctor is the right person to look into that.
What if my score is high?
A doctor can look at what’s behind your daytime sleepiness, such as poor sleep or a sleep condition, and there’s often a lot that helps. In the meantime, take extra care on the road if you feel sleepy.
How often can I retake it?
About once a month is a good rhythm. That’s often enough to notice a change without reacting to one unusually tired week.
Where it comes from
Developed by Australian doctor Murray Johns at Epworth Hospital in Melbourne in 1991.
Epworth Sleepiness Scale
On iPhone or iPad?
Sprout is an app there too, and this link opens the test straight away if you have it.
Coming soon to the App Store