8-item questionnaire measuring daytime sleepiness in everyday situations. ≈ 2 min to complete. Free with attribution.
ESS (Epworth Sleepiness Scale) is a validated clinical instrument used to assess 8-item questionnaire measuring daytime sleepiness in everyday situations.. It is most often used for 8-item questionnaire measuring daytime sleepiness in everyday situations.. The instrument contains 8 items. Typical administration time is ≈ 2 min.
Source / attribution: Free to use with citation
8-item questionnaire measuring daytime sleepiness in everyday situations. ESS is part of standard practice in this setting because it provides a structured, replicable assessment that can be tracked over time and compared across patients or visits.
Like all screening or assessment instruments, ESS is a structured aid — not a diagnostic test in isolation. Results should be interpreted alongside history, examination, and clinical context. Where a score crosses an actionable threshold, the next step is typically a more detailed clinical evaluation rather than a definitive diagnosis.
Answer all 8 items below to see your ESS score and interpretation.
Each item is scored on a 4-point scale (0–3). Your score updates live as you answer.
All scoring runs in your browser. No data is sent anywhere — close the tab and the answers are gone.
Sum all 8 items scored 0-3. Total range 0-24. Score > 10 indicates abnormal sleepiness.
Scoring notes: Sum all 8 items scored 0-3. Total range 0-24. Score > 10 indicates abnormal sleepiness.
The cutoffs below are drawn from the published validation literature. Always interpret in clinical context.
| Score range | Band | Interpretation |
|---|---|---|
| 0–10 | Normal daytime sleepiness | None |
| 11–15 | Mild sleepiness | Monitor |
| 16–24 | Severe sleepiness | Refer to sleep specialist |
This is an illustrative walkthrough, not a real patient. Follow the same four steps with your own answers — or use the live calculator at the top of this page.
Read each question and choose the response that best fits. Each response has a number next to it — that number is the item's score. The example below uses illustrative answers.
| # | Item | Example response | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sitting and reading | Moderate chance of dozing | 2 |
| 2 | Watching TV | Moderate chance of dozing | 2 |
| 3 | Sitting, inactive in a public place (e.g., a theatre or a meeting) | Slight chance of dozing | 1 |
| 4 | As a passenger in a car for an hour without a break | Moderate chance of dozing | 2 |
| 5 | Lying down to rest in the afternoon when circumstances permit | Slight chance of dozing | 1 |
| 6 | Sitting and talking to someone | Moderate chance of dozing | 2 |
| 7 | Sitting quietly after a lunch without alcohol | Slight chance of dozing | 1 |
| 8 | In a car, while stopped for a few minutes in traffic | Moderate chance of dozing | 2 |
Add up all the item scores you noted in Step 1.
2 + 2 + 1 + 2 + 1 + 2 + 1 + 2 = 13
Find the row in the interpretation table whose range contains your total:
Total = 13 falls between 11 and 15 → Mild sleepiness
Mild sleepiness. Monitor
A score is one input alongside history and examination. ESS supports clinical judgment — it does not replace it.
Psychometric figures are drawn from the validation literature and may vary across clinical populations and translations.
If ESS doesn't fit your context, related instruments in sleep include:
| Scale | Measures | Items | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| ISI | Brief screening measure for insomnia severity and outcomes. | 7 | ≈ 2 min |
| PSQI | 19-item measure assessing sleep quality and disturbances over one month. | 7 | ≈ 5 min |
| AIS | 8-item scale based on ICD-10 insomnia criteria for clinical assessment. | 8 | ≈ 2 min |
| PHQ-9 | Severity of depression | 9 | ≈ 3 minutes |
| GAD-7 | Severity of generalized anxiety | 7 | ≈ 2 minutes |
| AUDIT | 10-item WHO screening tool for hazardous alcohol consumption and dependence. | 10 | ≈ 3 min |
| CHA2DS2-VASc | Annual stroke risk in non-valvular atrial fibrillation | 8 | — |
| Glasgow Coma Scale | Level of consciousness after head injury | 3 | — |
ESS (Epworth Sleepiness Scale) is a validated instrument that assesses 8-item questionnaire measuring daytime sleepiness in everyday situations.. Its primary clinical use is 8-item questionnaire measuring daytime sleepiness in everyday situations..
ESS typically takes ≈ 2 min to administer. Time can vary slightly depending on whether it is self-administered or clinician-led.
ESS contains 8 items. Items are summed to produce a total score.
Scores of 16–24 fall in the "Severe sleepiness" band. Refer to sleep specialist
Scores of 0–10 fall in the "Normal daytime sleepiness" band. None
ESS has reported Cronbach's α of 0.88 in validation samples and test–retest reliability of 0.86. Predicts sleep apnea and other sleep disorders.
ESS is free to use with attribution. Free to use with citation
Johns, M. W. (1991). A new method for measuring daytime sleepiness. Sleep, 14(6), 540-545.
No. ESS is a structured assessment aid. A score is one input alongside history, examination, and clinical context. Treatment decisions should never rest on a screening score alone.
ESS is supported by the following peer-reviewed sources: