Should I be concerned about my sleep?
If you have excessive sleepness or suspect that you have a sleep apnoea related problem, take this test that uses the medical standard Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS). This Sleepiness Scale was developed by Dr. Murray Johns at the Epworth Hospital at Melbourne, Australia to determine daytime sleepiness.
How to answer the Epworth Test questions
Some questions may ssem a little odd and need some thought before answering:
How likely are you to doze off or fall asleep in the following situations, in contrast to just feeling tired? This refers to your usual way of life in recent times. Even if you have not done some of these things recently, try to work out how they would have affected you.
Use the following scale to choose the most appropriate number for each situation:
0 = No chance of dozing
1 = Slight chance of dozing
2 = Modorate chance of dozing
3 = High chance of dozing
Interpretation of Results
As a guide, a total score of 11 or more may mean that you have a sleeping disorder such as obstructive sleep apnoea. A very high score such as 17 or more may indicate that you have narcolepsy. See your doctor if you have a high score to discuss the results and your symptoms.
(1) Johns MW. A new method for measuring daytime sleepiness: the Epworth sleepiness scale. Sleep 1991 14:540-5. (The Epworth scale is named after Epworth Hospital, Melbourne, Australia, where Dr Johns worked.)




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