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This is a PatientPlus article. PatientPlus articles are written for doctors and so the language can be technical. However, some people find that they add depth to the articles found in the other sections of this website which are written for non-medical people.

Epworth Sleepiness Scale

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
Sitting and reading
Watching television
Sitting, inactive in a public place (eg. in cinema or a meeting)
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 lunch (without alcohol)
In a car, whilst stopped for a few minutes in traffic
Total= /24

Document references

Johns MW; A new method for measuring daytime sleepiness: the Epworth sleepiness scale. Sleep. 1991 Dec;14(6):540-5. [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 2008.
DocID: 2112
Document Version: 20
DocRef: bgp2436
Last Updated: 6 Oct 2008
Review Date: 6 Oct 2010

The authors and editors of this article are employed to create accurate and up to date content reflecting reliable research evidence, guidance and best clinical practice. They are free from any commercial conflicts of interest.

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Epworth Sleepiness Scale

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