Free test · 2 minutes
Epworth test: how sleepy are you during the day?
The Epworth Sleepiness Scale measures, across 8 everyday situations, how likely you are to doze off during the day. Your score appears straight away.
- 8 situations
- Instant result
- No account
Situation 1 of 8
How likely are you to doze off or fall asleep in this situation, in contrast to feeling just tired? Even if you haven't done this recently, try to work out how it would have affected you.
Sitting and reading
What the test measures
Daytime sleepiness
Your tendency to doze off without meaning to, not tiredness or lack of energy.
Real-life situations
Reading, watching TV, being a passenger in a car, after a meal...
A score to track
You can compare your score from one time to the next, for example during a CBT-I programme.
How to read your score
Each situation is worth 0 to 3 points. The total ranges from 0 to 24; above 10, daytime sleepiness is considered excessive.
| 0 to 5 | Low daytime sleepiness |
|---|---|
| 6 to 10 | Normal daytime sleepiness |
| 11 to 12 | Mild excessive daytime sleepiness |
| 13 to 15 | Moderate excessive daytime sleepiness |
| 16 to 24 | Severe excessive daytime sleepiness |
A guide, not a diagnosis
This questionnaire helps you take stock; it does not replace a consultation. Significant daytime sleepiness can have several causes, such as lack of sleep, sleep apnoea or a medicine: talk to your doctor.
In an emergency, call 112 or your local emergency number.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Epworth scale?
A questionnaire of 8 situations published by Dr Murray W. Johns in 1991. It is used in sleep clinics to measure sleepiness during the day.
Sleepiness or tiredness: what is the difference?
Sleepiness is the tendency to fall asleep without meaning to. Tiredness is a lack of energy, without necessarily wanting to sleep. Insomnia often causes tiredness, less often marked sleepiness.
Do I need an account to see my score?
No, your score appears straight away. The free account lets you keep your scores, track how they change and share them with your clinician if you wish.
Does the test give a diagnosis?
No. It gives you a guide. Only a healthcare professional can make a diagnosis.
Source
- Johns MW. A new method for measuring daytime sleepiness: the Epworth sleepiness scale. Sleep 1991;14(6):540-545. doi:10.1093/sleep/14.6.540
Epworth Sleepiness Scale © M.W. Johns 1990-1997. All rights reserved by the author. Situations shown one at a time for reading online.
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