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Post by marionk on Jul 14, 2016 4:54:55 GMT
I've been asked by my GP to fill in the Epworth sleepiness scale. No biggie, rate 8 ordinary scenarios 0 to 3 for my chance of dozing off . . .
Situation / Chance of Dozing 1 Sitting and Reading 2 Watching TV 3 Sitting, inactive in a public place (e.g. a theater or a meeting) 4 As a passenger in a car for an hour without a break 5 Lying down to rest in the afternoon when circumstances permit 6 Sitting and talking to someone 7 Sitting quietly after lunch without alcohol 8 In a car, while stopped for a few minutes in traffic
. . . but when I try to think how likely it would be, I realise that it depends on how exciting/interesting the book/TV/conversation is.
And how tired I am in the first place, has even more effect.
How do I rate the chances of dozing off when there are so many things that change the chances of dozing off from a 0 to a 3?
Also, how do I factor in the fact that I can't 'sit quietly'. Even if I am physically still my brain
Then again, I could fall asleep in any of those situations, but (knowing that I need more sleep), whenever I find myself sleepy enough to actually get to sleep, I go and lie down. So I wouldn't actually fall asleep in any other situation than #5, unless I could not move from that other situation to #5.
Also, if I were to randomly try to get a nap, just because I had time, I probably wouldn't get to sleep, because until I'm exhausted, my brain just keeps on going. And there's that thing where, when you want to go to sleep and you finally start to doze off, you notice that you are falling asleep, and that realisation wakes you up again . . . so conversely, I am highly unlikely to doze off in #5 unless I'm already falling asleep big time. Gah!
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Post by shiningbright on Jul 14, 2016 8:39:57 GMT
Gah what a nightmare. I hate when things don't allow for even the most basic of variables as it's so frustrating - even the most basic of questions can have a million answers, how do they expect everyone to fit a load of stuff into three primitive answer options. Maybe you should actually give written answers to each question going into the variables and probabilities and see what happens lol. But then again health carers are such idiots these days they'd still find fault in it on your side rather then theirs can't win. I hope you the best of luck with said irksome form bless you.
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Post by marionk on Jul 14, 2016 21:45:19 GMT
lol thanks. Actually I've sussed it now. I'm entirely capable of falling asleep in any of those situations, and indeed have done so in all of them, so none of them score 0. I almost always fall asleep in 3, 4 and 5, so they score 3. I actually use 1 and 2 to overcome insomnia, so they are 3 as well. And while I might tweak 1 down a point, as I don't stay sitting once I start falling asleep, I might also, just as well, tweak 7 up a point, as I would surely fall asleep sitting up if I didn't move to lie down (5). A couple of points here or there doesn't make a significant difference. What I find most annoying about this 'test' is that it doesn't take into account that insomnia reduces the score on some situations. It's like it's saying that insomnia is ok. :S
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Post by shiningbright on Jul 15, 2016 8:17:32 GMT
I'm happy you've sussed it :-)
I still think it unfair that health issues, which by nature vary vastly from person to person (especially those related to mental health), are tested using tick boxes and limited scales.
But I'm happy you're okay about it now :-)
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