Epworth Sleepiness Scale
Rate your chance of dozing in eight everyday situations to get an Epworth score out of 24 with its sleepiness band.
About this tool
Epworth Sleepiness Scale
Rate your chance of dozing in eight everyday situations to get an Epworth score out of 24 with its sleepiness band.
The Epworth Sleepiness Scale measures how likely you are to doze off during eight ordinary sedentary situations, each rated 0 (would never doze) to 3 (high chance), giving a total between 0 and 24. It was introduced by Murray Johns in Sleep (1991) and is the questionnaire most sleep clinics hand out at a first appointment. A total above 10 is the conventional marker of excessive daytime sleepiness and is a reason to talk to a doctor rather than simply drink more coffee.
How to use Epworth Sleepiness Scale
- 1
Open Epworth Sleepiness Scale on AltFTool — it loads instantly in your browser.
- 2
Rate each of the eight situations under "Chance of dozing" from 0 (would never doze) to 3 (high chance) — or click "Set all to never" to start from zero.
- 3
Read your Epworth total out of 24 with its band from the interpretation table: 0-10 normal, 11-12 mild, 13-15 moderate, 16-24 severe.
- 4
Note the "Situation with the highest rating" and click "Copy result" to save the full breakdown for a clinician.
Why use Epworth Sleepiness Scale
Published bands
Applies the standard interpretation: 0-5 and 6-10 are normal ranges, 11-12 mild, 13-15 moderate and 16-24 severe.
Shows your worst situation
Highlights the single situation you rated highest, which is often the most useful thing to describe to a clinician.
Fast to repeat
Eight questions take about a minute, so a before-and-after comparison is easy to run.
Common use cases
- Deciding whether persistent tiredness is worth raising with a GP or sleep clinic before an appointment.
- Recording a baseline score before starting CPAP therapy and re-scoring after a few weeks of use.
- Separating true sleepiness — actually dozing off — from fatigue, which the scale deliberately does not measure.
- Shift workers checking whether their daytime sleep is leaving them safe to drive home.
Frequently asked questions
What is a normal Epworth Sleepiness Scale score?
A total of 0-10 is considered normal, with 0-5 described as lower normal and 6-10 as higher normal daytime sleepiness. Scores of 11 and above indicate excessive daytime sleepiness: 11-12 mild, 13-15 moderate and 16-24 severe.
What Epworth score suggests sleep apnoea?
There is no score that confirms sleep apnoea — the scale measures sleepiness, not its cause. A total above 10, particularly alongside loud snoring, witnessed pauses in breathing or waking unrefreshed, is a common trigger for referral to a sleep study, which is what actually diagnoses apnoea.
What is the difference between sleepiness and tiredness on this scale?
The Epworth scale asks specifically about dozing off or falling asleep, not about feeling tired, drained or unmotivated. Someone with severe fatigue from anaemia or depression can score low, while someone with untreated apnoea who nods off reading can score high despite feeling they sleep enough.
How often should I redo the Epworth questionnaire?
It reflects your average over the past few weeks, so repeating it more often than monthly rarely shows anything meaningful. It is most useful as a before-and-after measure around a change such as starting CPAP, adjusting a medication or fixing a shift pattern. This page is informational and is not a substitute for assessment by a clinician.
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