A new questionnaire helps you see how your sleep, or lack of it, is affecting you during the school week.

Researchers at Case School of Medicine in Cleveland, Ohio, designed the tool to be a reliable and quick way to measure your level of sleepiness. It only takes a few minutes for you to rate the 16 statements that make up the Cleveland Adolescent Sleepiness Questionnaire.

These statements present situations such as, “I fall asleep during my morning classes” and “I feel sleepy in the evening after school.” You select how often each statement applies to you. Options range from “Never” to “Almost every day.”

The researchers tested the questionnaire by analyzing the responses of nearly 500 teens. Their results show that the questionnaire is a reliable tool. The study was published in the October 15 issue of the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine.

A higher score on the questionnaire shows that you are sleepy during day and need to get more sleep on school nights. A higher score also could be a sign that you may have a sleep disorder called obstructive sleep apnea (OSA).

OSA occurs when soft tissue in the back of the throat collapses and blocks the airway as you sleep. As a result you may briefly stop breathing hundreds of times during the night. Loud snoring is a common warning sign for OSA.

After you download and complete the questionnaire, you should share the results with your parents and doctor.

Download the Cleveland Adolescent Sleepiness Questionnaire

Reviewed by David Kuhlmann, MD
Updated October 9, 2007