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Epworth Sleepiness Scale

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This easy to use patient self administered questionnaire can be used to screen patients for sleep apnoea. Score 0 if they never doze in that situation, up to 3 if they have a high chance of dozing. Total scores of ≥11 are supportive of the diagnosis.¹

Ask the patient how likely they are to doze off or fall asleep in the following situations (rather than just feeling tired) - referring to their usual way of life in recent times. If they haven't done some of these things recently, ask them to try and work out how it would have affected them - so all questions have an answer.

Epworth Sleepiness Scale is available here

Note about Credits

Dr M W Johns owns the copyright to the ESS (©, M.W.Johns, 1990-1997).¹

Dr Johns allows individual clinicians, researchers and not-for-profit organizations to use the ESS free of charge, "so long as they acknowledge his copyright ownership of it wherever the ESS is reproduced. However, Corporations and Governmental agencies are asked to pay a license fee for using the ESS2.^2,3

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Document references

1. Johns MW; A new method for measuring daytime sleepiness: the Epworth sleepiness scale. Sleep. 1991 Dec;14(6):540-5. [abstract]
2. Epworth Sleepiness Scale Website; (license information)
3. Suominen K, Isometsa E, Ostamo A, et al; Level of suicidal intent predicts overall mortality and suicide after attempted suicide: a 12-year follow-up study. BMC Psychiatry. 2004 Apr 20;4:11. [abstract]

Acknowledgements EMIS is grateful to Dr Huw Thomas for writing this article. The final copy has passed scrutiny by the independent Mentor GP reviewing team. ©EMIS 2009.
Document ID: 2112
Document Version: 22
Document Reference: bgp2436
Last Updated: 30 Jun 2009
Planned Review: 29 Jun 2014

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