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Pediatric Epworth Sleepiness Scale Calculator

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Score the pediatric Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS-CHAD-style) for children and teens to estimate daytime sleepiness, with a 0-24 total and category shown instantly.

A parent or caregiver can help answer for a child. For each situation, choose how likely the child or teen is to doze off or fall asleep — not just feel tired — based on their usual recent routine.

Watching TV
Reading (Not for School)
Sitting and Talking with Someone
Sitting Quietly After Lunch
Sitting Inactive in a Classroom or Public Place

For example, in a classroom, theater, or meeting.

Riding in a Car for 30+ Minutes

As a passenger, without a break.

Lying Down to Rest in the Afternoon

When circumstances permit.

In a Car, Stopped in Traffic

Stopped for a few minutes while riding or driving.

ESS Total Score

0/ 24

Sleepiness Category

—

For informational purposes only. This is a screening questionnaire, not a diagnostic test — discuss persistent sleepiness in a child or teen with a qualified pediatric healthcare provider.

What is a Pediatric Epworth Scale?

A Pediatric Epworth Sleepiness Scale Calculator scores an 8-question daytime sleepiness questionnaire adapted for children and adolescents, similar in structure to research tools like the ESS-CHAD (Epworth Sleepiness Scale for Children and Adolescents). Each situation — from watching TV to sitting in a classroom — is rated from 0 (would never doze) to 3 (high chance of dozing), summing to a total from 0 to 24.

This calculator uses school-age-appropriate scenarios in place of some adult-oriented situations from the original Epworth Sleepiness Scale, then maps the total score to the same general severity categories used in sleep medicine.

How to use this Pediatric Epworth Scale calculator

  1. A parent, caregiver, or the adolescent themselves should answer for each of the 8 situations.
  2. For each situation, select how likely the child or teen is to doze off or fall asleep, not just feel tired, based on their recent routine.
  3. If a situation hasn't come up recently, estimate how it would typically affect them.
  4. Complete all 8 selections — TV, reading, talking with someone, after lunch, classroom or public setting, car ride, afternoon rest, and traffic.
  5. Review the ESS Total Score and Sleepiness Category, and discuss a high score with a qualified pediatric healthcare provider.

Formula & Methodology

ESS Total Score = Sum of scores (0-3) across all 8 situations

Severity categories follow the same bands used for the adult Epworth Sleepiness Scale (Johns MW, Sleep, 1991), commonly carried over to pediatric adaptations such as the ESS-CHAD (Janssen et al., Sleep Health, 2017): 0-10 is normal, 11-12 is mild, 13-15 is moderate, and 16-24 is severe excessive daytime sleepiness.

Worked example: scoring 1 on watching TV, 1 on reading, 0 talking with someone, 1 after lunch, 2 in a classroom setting, 1 as a car passenger, 1 resting in the afternoon, and 0 in traffic sums to a total of 7, which falls in the normal daytime sleepiness range.

Frequently Asked Questions

The pediatric Epworth Sleepiness Scale adapts the original adult Epworth Sleepiness Scale questionnaire for children and adolescents, replacing some adult-oriented situations with school-age-appropriate ones such as sitting in a classroom. It uses the same 0-3 scoring per situation and sums to a total from 0 to 24, similar to research versions like the ESS-CHAD (Epworth Sleepiness Scale for Children and Adolescents).
Each of the 8 situations is scored from 0 to 3: 0 means the child or teen would never doze, 1 means a slight chance of dozing, 2 means a moderate chance, and 3 means a high chance of dozing off. A parent, caregiver, or the adolescent themselves can complete the questionnaire, depending on age.
Using the same bands as the adult scale, 0-10 is considered normal daytime sleepiness, 11-12 suggests mild excessive daytime sleepiness, 13-15 suggests moderate excessive daytime sleepiness, and 16-24 suggests severe excessive daytime sleepiness. These bands are commonly applied to pediatric versions of the scale, though clinical interpretation in children should always involve a pediatric healthcare provider.
Sitting in a classroom is a highly relevant daily situation for school-age children and adolescents, replacing adult-oriented scenarios like sitting in a business meeting. This makes the questionnaire's situations more representative of a typical child or teen's day.
For younger children, a parent or caregiver who observes the child's daily behavior typically completes the questionnaire on their behalf. Older children and teenagers, particularly adolescents, are often able to complete it themselves with guidance, similar to how the adult scale is self-administered.
Insufficient sleep for age, irregular sleep schedules, sleep-disordered breathing such as pediatric sleep apnea, restless sleep, and certain medical or psychiatric conditions can all contribute to excessive daytime sleepiness in children and teens. Screen time and school start times are also commonly discussed contributing factors.
Children with sleep-disordered breathing, including pediatric obstructive sleep apnea, often show elevated daytime sleepiness scores alongside abnormal breathing patterns during sleep. The [AHI Calculator](/ahi-calculator/) can help interpret breathing-event counts from a pediatric sleep study, when available.
Age-based general guidelines suggest school-age children need about 9-12 hours of sleep per night, while teenagers generally need about 8-10 hours, though individual needs vary. The [Sleep Debt Calculator](/sleep-debt-calculator/) can help estimate whether a child is consistently falling short of their needed sleep.
A single elevated score is worth noting but isn't necessarily an emergency — it's more useful as a starting point for tracking patterns over time or as context for a conversation with a pediatric healthcare provider. Occasional dozing in low-stimulation situations doesn't automatically indicate a sleep disorder.
No — this calculator only sums a screening questionnaire and applies commonly used severity bands for informational and educational purposes. It cannot diagnose sleep apnea, narcolepsy, or any other condition, and any concerns about a child's or teen's sleepiness should be discussed with a qualified pediatric healthcare provider.
If a child or teen consistently scores in the moderate to severe range, struggles to stay awake at school, snores loudly, or shows other signs of disrupted sleep, it's worth discussing with a pediatric healthcare provider. They can determine whether further evaluation, such as a sleep study, is appropriate.
Also known as
ESS-CHAD calculatorpediatric daytime sleepiness scalechild Epworth sleepiness scaleadolescent sleepiness scorekids ESS calculator