Epworth Sleepiness Scale:
The following questionnaire will help you measure your general level of daytime sleepiness. You are to rate the chance that you would doze off or fall asleep during different routine, daytime situations. Each item is rated from 0 to 3, with 0 meaning you would never doze or fall asleep in a given situation, and 3 meaning that there is a very high chance that you would doze or fall asleep in that situation.
How likely are you to doze off or fall asleep in the following situations, in contrast to just feeling tired? Even if you haven’t done some of these activities recently, think about how they would have affected you.
Use this scale to choose the most appropriate number for each situation: 0 = would never doze, 1= slight chance of dozing, 2=moderate chance of dozing, 3 = high chance of dozing. It is important that you rate each of the situations using numbers 0-3 appropriately.
Situations:
1. Sitting and reading:
2. Watching television:
3. Sitting inactive in a public place:
4. As a passenger in a car for an hour without a break:
5. Lying down to rest in the afternoon:
6. Sitting and talking to someone:
7. Sitting quietly after lunch (no alcohol):
8. As the driver of a car, while stopped in traffic:
Epworth Sleepiness Scale Key:
Total score of less than 10 suggest that you are not suffering from excessive daytime sleepiness.
A total score of 10 or more suggests that you may need further evaluation by a physician to determine the cause of your excessive daytime sleepiness and whether you have an underlying sleep disorder.
Your Next Steps:
This scale should not be used to make your own diagnosis. It is intended as a tool to help you identify your own level of daytime sleepiness, which is a symptom of many sleep disorders.
If your score is 10 or more, please share this information with your physician. Be sure to describe all your symptoms, as clearly as possible, to aid in your diagnosis and treatment.
It is important to remember that true excessive daytime sleepiness is almost always caused by an underlying medical condition that can be easily diagnosed and effectively treated.
