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Sleepiness Scale Health Risk Assessment

Sleep disorders, which can be temporary or long-term, affect the quantity or quality of sleep. According to the National Commission on Sleep Disorders Research, an estimated 40 million Americans experience short-term sleep-related problems. An additional 40 million people suffer from chronic sleep disorders. Insomnia is the most prevalent sleep complaint in the general population. It is important to recognize sleep problems due to the fact they can make other diseases or health conditions worse and potentially become dangerous to your life and others if daily activities are affected.

This questionnaire - 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. Using the rating scale below, rate each of the following statements as it best applies to you.

Sitting and reading

Watching TV

Sitting inactive in a public place (e.g. a theater or meeting)

As a passenger in a car for an hour without a break

Lying down to rest in the afternoon when circumstances permit

Sitting and talking to someone

Sitting quietly after a lunch without consuming alcohol

In a car, while stopped for a few minutes in traffic

Last Updated: March 2008
This content was created by members of the DrugDigest team of experts and is solely under DrugDigest's editorial control.