About the Pediatric Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS-CHAD)
The Epworth Sleepiness Scale for Children and Adolescents (ESS-CHAD) is a pediatric adaptation of John Epworth's original adult sleepiness questionnaire, published by Janssen, Phillipson, O'Connor, and Johns in 2017. It asks about the same 8 everyday situations as the adult scale, worded for a younger audience, and produces a single total from 0 to 24 that reflects how likely a child or teen is to doze off during ordinary daily activities.
How the score is built
Each of the 8 situations - reading, watching TV, sitting inactive in public, riding as a car passenger, lying down to rest, talking with someone, sitting quietly after lunch, and sitting in stopped traffic - is rated on the same 0-to-3 scale:
- 0 - would never doze
- 1 - slight chance of dozing
- 2 - moderate chance of dozing
- 3 - high chance of dozing
The 8 ratings are simply added together. There is no weighting, so the total score always falls between 0 and 24.
Putting the result in context
A commonly used guide, carried over from the adult Epworth Sleepiness Scale, treats a total above 10 (out of 24) as a signal that daytime sleepiness may be higher than typical, with higher bands often described as moderate (roughly 13-15) or severe (16-24). These bands are a general screening reference, not a diagnostic cutoff specific to any one child, and normative pediatric data are more limited than the adult evidence base.
When to consult a professional
This calculator performs the standard ESS-CHAD arithmetic for education and screening purposes only; it does not diagnose a sleep disorder or guide treatment. A child or teen with a persistently high score, or with daytime sleepiness that affects school or daily life, should be evaluated by a pediatrician or a pediatric sleep specialist.