Epworth Sleepiness Scale - The Questionnaire

The Questionnaire

The questionnaire asks the subject to rate his or her probability of falling asleep on a scale of increasing probability from 0 to 3 for eight different situations that most people engage in during their daily lives, though not necessarily every day. The scores for the eight questions are added together to obtain a single number. A number in the 0–9 range is considered to be normal while a number in the 10–24 range indicates that expert medical advice should be sought. For instance, scores of 11-15 are shown to indicate the possibility of mild to moderate sleep apnea, where a score of 16 and above indicates the possibility of severe sleep apnea or narcolepsy. Certain questions in the scale were shown to be better predictors of specific sleep disorders, though further tests may be required to provide an accurate diagnosis.

The questionnaire was originally created with the intent to preserve the exact wording of the questionnaire to provide a standardized test and to preserve its validity; the author of the ESS recommends that the administrator of the questionnaire does not discuss the results of the ESS with the subject until it is completed, as this may affect the subject's responses on the questionnaire.

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