The Epworth Test assesses the tendency toward sleepiness by asking eight questions about the likelihood of dozing off in different situations. This simple tool helps identify sleep disorders such as sleep apnea.
Widely used in sleep medicine, it evaluates an individual’s level of daytime sleepiness. The test consists of eight everyday scenarios in which the respondent must consider whether they would fall asleep or not. For each question, the person is asked to rate, on a scale of 0 to 3, the likelihood of dozing off or falling asleep (0 meaning no chance, and 3 meaning a high probability).
The situations described in the Epworth Test include activities such as watching TV, sitting still in a public place, or being a passenger in a car for an hour. After answering the eight questions, the scores are summed to obtain a total between 0 and 24. A higher score indicates a greater probability of daytime sleepiness and may suggest the need to consult a doctor for potential sleep issues.
This test is often used as a screening tool for sleep disorders such as sleep apnea or narcolepsy, but it does not provide a diagnosis. It is not a diagnostic tool on its own. If someone scores high, it may indicate the need for a more in-depth evaluation by a healthcare professional specializing in sleep disorders.
