Measuring Daytime Sleepiness in Adults
Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS)
How likely are you to doze off or fall asleep in the following situations, in contrast to feeling just 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. Complete this and share your results with your healthcare provider.
Use the following scale to choose the most appropriate number for each situation.
It is important that you answer each item as best as you can.
Situation
Chance of Dozing
No chance
of dozing
Slight chance
of dozing
Moderate chance
of dozing
High chance
of dozing
No chance of dozing
Slight chance of dozing
Moderate chance of dozing
High chance of dozing
No chance of dozing
Slight chance of dozing
Moderate chance of dozing
High chance of dozing
No chance of dozing
Slight chance of dozing
Moderate chance of dozing
High chance of dozing
No chance of dozing
Slight chance of dozing
Moderate chance of dozing
High chance of dozing
No chance of dozing
Slight chance of dozing
Moderate chance of dozing
High chance of dozing
No chance of dozing
Slight chance of dozing
Moderate chance of dozing
High chance of dozing
No chance of dozing
Slight chance of dozing
Moderate chance of dozing
High chance of dozing
No chance of dozing
Slight chance of dozing
Moderate chance of dozing
High chance of dozing
Total Score = 0
ESS © MW Johns 1990-1997. Used under License
For any information on the distribution rights for the ESS, please contact Mapi Research Trust, Lyon, France, Internet: https://eprovide.mapi-trust.org
Share these important scores with your healthcare provider
Screeners such as the ESS (above) and the Swiss Narcolepsy Scale (SNS) (below) can help screen for excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS) and narcolepsy with cataplexy (respectively), but proper diagnosis requires a complete exam from a healthcare provider, such as a sleep specialist. To help him or her make an accurate diagnosis, be open and honest about all of your symptoms and be sure to share your ESS and SNS scores.
Exploring Symptoms in Adults
Swiss Narcolepsy Scale (SNS)
The SNS assesses the frequency of 5 symptoms that can be used to screen for the presence of narcolepsy with cataplexy. Complete this and share your results with your healthcare provider.
Please choose the best answers using the scales shown for each question.
Interactive Scale
Never
Rarely
(Less than once a month)
Sometimes
(1-3 times a month)
Often
(1-2 times a week)
Almost Always
Never
Rarely (Less than once a month)
Sometimes (1-3 times a month)
Often (1-2 times a week)
Almost Always
Never
Rarely (Less than once a month)
Sometimes (1-3 times a month)
Often (1-2 times a week)
Almost Always
Never
I would like to, but cannot
1-2 times a week
3-5 times a week
Almost daily
Never
I would like to, but cannot
1-2 times a week
3-5 times a week
Almost daily
Never
Rarely
(Less than once a month)
Sometimes
(1-3 times a month)
Often
(1-2 times a week)
Almost Always
Never
Rarely (Less than once a month)
Sometimes (1-3 times a month)
Often (1-2 times a week)
Almost Always
Never
Rarely (Less than once a month)
Sometimes (1-3 times a month)
Often (1-2 times a week)
Almost Always
Total Score = 0
This copyrighted material is reproduced with the permission of the authors. Unauthorized copy, printing, or distribution is strictly prohibited.
Sources: Bassetti CL. Spectrum of narcolepsy. In: Baumann CR, Bassetti CL, Scammell TE, eds. Narcolepsy: Pathophysiology, Diagnosis, and Treatment. New York, NY: Springer Science+Business Media, LLC; 2011:309-319. Sturzenegger C, Bassetti CL. The clinical spectrum of narcolepsy with cataplexy: a reappraisal. J Sleep Res. 2004;13(4):395-406. Sturzenegger C, Baumann CR, Kallweit U, Lammers GJ, Bassetti CL. Swiss Narcolepsy Scale: a valid tool for the identification of hypocretin-1 deficient patients with narcolepsy. J Sleep Res. 2014;23(suppl 1):297.
Share these important scores with your healthcare provider
The screeners above can help screen for excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS) in narcolepsy and for narcolepsy with cataplexy, but proper diagnosis requires a complete exam from a healthcare provider. To help him or her make an accurate diagnosis, be open and honest about all of the symptoms you may be experiencing and be sure to share your scores from the screeners above.
These screening tools are not intended to make a narcolepsy diagnosis or replace complete evaluation by a sleep specialist.