We all doze now and again; sometimes in the staff-room, hopefully never in the classroom... This is a good indication of how effective our night-time sleeping routine is.
The Epsworth self-assessment questionnaire assesses how sleepy a person you actually are. Consider each of the scenarios below and write down a number (0, 1, 2 or 3) for each scenario A-H. You should end up with a list of eight numbers (for example 0 1 2 2 1 0 0 1) to add up. Choose your number based on the following
0 = I would never, ever doze in this scenario
1 = There is a slight chance that I might doze in this scenario
2 = Yes, there's a moderate or reasonable chance that I might doze in this scenario
3 = There is a high likelihood that I would doze in this situation.
A. Sitting at home, with regular levels of heating and lighting, reading a book or a newspaper
B. Sitting at home, with regular levels of heating and lighting, watching what-you-usually-watch on TV
C. Sitting inactive in a public place (for example a presentation which is not directly relevant to you)
D. Lying down for a rest on a weekend afternoon
E. Sitting talking quietly to someone
F. Sitting quietly after an alcohol-free lunch doing nothing-in-particular
G. Driving a car, but stationary in heavy traffic
H. Sitting as a passenger in a car, with an un-talkative driver for a one-hour journey
The standard interpretation of your score is as follows
Less than 10: You are probably getting enough sleep
10-16: You display excessive sleepiness; you should re-consider your night-time sleeping routine.
More than 16: You should discuss your daytime sleepiness with a medical professional - you are dangerously sleepy.