Sleep
Insomnia check
7 questions · 2 min
This short check is widely used by doctors and sleep researchers to see how much trouble someone is having with sleep. It asks about falling asleep, staying asleep and waking too early, and how much that’s bothering you and affecting your days.
It looks at the last two weeks, so it’s a snapshot of how you’re sleeping right now. Retaking it can show whether things are getting better.
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What it shows
How much trouble you’ve had with sleep in the last two weeks, and how much it’s affecting you.
What it doesn’t
A diagnosis. Only a doctor or sleep specialist can assess a sleep disorder.
Who it’s for
This is for you if sleep has become something you think about: lying awake, waking in the night, or waking too early and not getting back to sleep. It also asks how much this is affecting your days, so it’s worth doing even if you’re not sure your sleep is ‘bad enough’ to mention.
It’s useful to take before talking to a doctor about sleep. If you’re trying changes to your routine, retaking it every couple of weeks can show whether they’re helping.
Questions people ask
What does the Insomnia Severity Index measure?
It measures how much trouble you’ve had with sleep over the last two weeks, covering falling asleep, staying asleep and waking too early. It also asks how much that’s bothering you and getting in the way of your days.
How long does the ISI take?
There are 7 questions, and most people finish in about 2 minutes.
How is the ISI scored?
Each answer scores from 0 to 4, and the seven are added up to a total from 0 to 28. The usual ranges are 0–7 few sleep problems, 8–14 some sleep trouble, 15–21 sleep is a struggle and 22–28 sleep is very hard.
Is this a diagnosis of insomnia?
No. It shows how much trouble you’ve had with sleep recently, not whether you have a sleep disorder. Only a doctor or sleep specialist can assess that.
How often can I retake it?
Every two weeks or so works well, because the questions ask about the last two weeks. Retaking it can show whether your sleep is getting better.
What should I do if my score is high?
A doctor can check what’s behind poor sleep and talk you through approaches that help, many of them without sleeping pills. Bringing your result along can make that conversation easier to start.
Where it comes from
Developed by psychologist Charles Morin in Canada in the early 1990s and used in sleep clinics around the world.
Insomnia Severity Index
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