Which instrument is used to assess daytime sleepiness levels?

Which instrument is used to assess daytime sleepiness levels?

• A. Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index
• B. Epworth Sleepiness Scale
• C. Multiple Sleep Latency Test
• D. Insomnia Severity Index

Answer: (B)

The key idea is how to measure daytime sleepiness efficiently in routine care. The Epworth Sleepiness Scale is a brief self-report questionnaire that asks how likely you are to doze off in eight common everyday situations, such as sitting and reading, watching TV, or riding in a car. Each situation is scored 0 to 3, and the total score ranges from 0 to 24. A higher total indicates greater daytime sleepiness. This tool is practical in geriatrics because it’s quick, easy to administer, and gives a subjective sense of how sleepiness affects daily life, which helps guide further assessment or interventions. In contrast, the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index focuses on overall nighttime sleep quality and disturbances over the past month, not daytime sleepiness. The Multiple Sleep Latency Test is an objective, lab-based measure of sleepiness that records how quickly a person falls asleep across several nap opportunities, which is more resource-intensive and not a routine screening tool. The Insomnia Severity Index assesses the severity of insomnia symptoms and their impact on functioning, not daytime sleepiness per se.

The key idea is how to measure daytime sleepiness efficiently in routine care. The Epworth Sleepiness Scale is a brief self-report questionnaire that asks how likely you are to doze off in eight common everyday situations, such as sitting and reading, watching TV, or riding in a car. Each situation is scored 0 to 3, and the total score ranges from 0 to 24. A higher total indicates greater daytime sleepiness. This tool is practical in geriatrics because it’s quick, easy to administer, and gives a subjective sense of how sleepiness affects daily life, which helps guide further assessment or interventions.

In contrast, the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index focuses on overall nighttime sleep quality and disturbances over the past month, not daytime sleepiness. The Multiple Sleep Latency Test is an objective, lab-based measure of sleepiness that records how quickly a person falls asleep across several nap opportunities, which is more resource-intensive and not a routine screening tool. The Insomnia Severity Index assesses the severity of insomnia symptoms and their impact on functioning, not daytime sleepiness per se.