Sleepiness Scales - Epworth, Stanford, Karolińska - allow you to determine the degree of sleepiness during the day, the probability of falling asleep or falling asleep during the day. The questionnaires are intended for people who struggle with excessive sleepiness during everyday activity. What are the individual tests? How to interpret their results?

Thesleepiness scales help you measure the degree of daytime sleepiness, the likelihood of napping or falling asleep (not to be confused with general fatigue) during the day.Sleepiness scalesare used in people who are excessively sleepy during the day, both in monotonous situations and in situations very unusual for falling asleep (e.g. during a conversation). Assessment of somnolence may be performed using the Epworth Sleepiness Scale, Stanford Sleepiness Scale, and Carolingian Sleepiness Scale. However, these are tests performed by the patient, and therefore subjective, therefore, it is not possible to assess drowsiness on the basis of them in a factual manner. In order to objectively assess daytime sleepiness, the Multiple Sleep Latency Measurement and the Multiple Sleep Latency Test (MWT) are performed

Epworth Sleepiness Scale

The Epworth Sleepiness Scale is used to assess the overall level of somnolence, which is a constant feature of the subject. In this case, it is necessary to determine how high the probability of falling asleep in the following situations has been recently. In the absence of any of these situations, imagine whether it would be possible for you to nap or sleep at that time. In order to assess the possibility of falling asleep in a given situation, the following scale is used:

  • 0 - it is impossible to fall asleep
  • 1 - a slight possibility of a nap
  • 2 - moderate nap time
  • 3 - great possibility of a nap

How easily do you fall asleep or fall asleep in the following situations?

sitting or reading0123
watching TV0123
sitting in a public place, e.g. cinema0123
one-hour monotonous driveby car as a passenger0123
lying down during the afternoon rest0123
sitting conversation0123
sitting in a quiet and peaceful place after lunch (no alcohol)0123
driving a car in a traffic jam or a red light stop for several minutes0123

You need to add up the points. A score of 1 to 9 means everything is fine. When obtaining 10 or more points, it is advisable to consult a specialist in the diagnosis and treatment of sleep disorders.

10 commandments for a good night's sleep

Stanford Sleep Scale

Stanford's Sleepiness Scale assesses the level of sleepiness of the subject at a given moment. The trick is to choose the answer that most closely matches your current level of sleepiness. The test is performed every hour, every day, for a period of 7 days.

cz się active i rześki / a, alert, fully aroused1
I function at a high level, but not at the peak. I can concentrate2
I am relaxed and alert, but not to the full extent. I react correctly3
I'm a little blurry, discouraged, not in top shape4
jest spowolnialny / a, more foggy. I am losing my will to stay alert5
I'm very sleepy, foggy, struggling with sleep. I prefer to lie down6
I'm almost asleep. Quite a bit of drowsiness7

During daily activity hours, answers with a scale of less than 4 should be correctly selected. Choosing a scale of 4 or more suggests sleep problems. It is then advisable to visit a specialist.

Carolingian Sleepiness Scale

The Karolinska Sleepiness Scale also assesses the level of sleepiness of the subject at a given moment. The original version of the Karolińska Sleepiness Scale included only points 1, 3, 5, 7 and 9, but later the missing ones were added to it.

Below are some examples of how sleepy the subject may be feeling right now. The patient's task is to carefully read the answers and mark the degree of sleepiness that best corresponds to his state at the time of the test.

1. Extremely vigilant / a2. Very vigilant / a3. Vigilant / a4. Rather alert5. Neutral, ani senny / a6. I have asigns of drowsiness - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -7. Sleepy, but I have no difficulty resisting the somnolence 8. Sleepy, but I have difficulty resisting the sleepiness 9. Extremely sleepy, I struggle with sleep

During daily activity hours, answers with a scale of less than 7 should be correctly selected. Choosing answers with a scale of 7 and above suggests sleep problems. It is then advisable to visit a specialist.

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