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Sleep Deprivation Quiz

Am I sleep deprived? Answer 10 quick questions about a typical week. You'll get a score and plain next steps. Your answers never leave this page.

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Updated · By · Our standards

Think about a typical week over the last month. This is a self-check, not a diagnostic test.

1. On work or school days, how do you usually wake up?
2. How many hours do you actually sleep on a typical weeknight?
3. On days off, how much longer do you sleep than on work days?
4. Once you lie down at night, how fast do you usually fall asleep?
5. Do you need caffeine to feel normal in the morning?
6. Do you nod off when you sit still, like on the couch, in a meeting or as a passenger?
7. How often do you hit a hard energy crash in the afternoon?
8. How often do you lose focus, like rereading the same line or losing your train of thought?
9. Lately, have you been more irritable or short-tempered than usual?
10. In the past month, have you felt drowsy or had heavy eyes while driving?

How the sleep deprivation quiz works

Each question is about something you do, not just how tired you feel. That matters, because people who are short on sleep tend to underestimate it: in a well-known study, adults kept to 6 hours a night for two weeks rated themselves only slightly sleepy while their attention got steadily worse.

Every answer scores 0, 1 or 2 points, for a total out of 20. The questions are our own, written from the signs in our guide to signs you are sleep deprived. It isn't a validated clinical questionnaire, and it can't diagnose anything.

What your score means

  • 0 to 5: probably getting enough. Keep your schedule steady, and check again if things change.
  • 6 to 11: likely running a sleep deficit. Several signs point to short sleep. Going to bed 30 to 60 minutes earlier for a week or two is the usual fix.
  • 12 to 20: strong signs of sleep deprivation. Your sleep needs attention now, starting with an earlier, fixed bedtime.

The signs behind the questions

  • Needing an alarm or the snooze button: your body would keep sleeping if it could.
  • Falling asleep in under 5 minutes: most healthy adults take 10 to 20 minutes. Dropping off almost instantly usually means very high sleep pressure. How long it should take to fall asleep.
  • Long weekend lie-ins: sleeping 2 or more hours longer on days off suggests you're paying back debt from the week. Is sleeping in on weekends bad?
  • Caffeine to feel normal, afternoon crashes, poor focus and irritability: common daytime effects of short sleep.
  • Under 7 hours on weeknights: below the minimum the American Academy of Sleep Medicine recommends for adults.

What to do next

  1. Measure it. The sleep debt calculator shows how much sleep you owe this week.
  2. Set a bedtime that fits. The sleep calculator counts back full 90-minute cycles from your alarm.
  3. Check tonight's total with the hours of sleep calculator.
  4. Build the rest of the day around it with the sleep schedule maker.

When to see a doctor

See a doctor if you snore loudly, gasp or choke at night, or have been told you stop breathing in your sleep; if you're severely sleepy during the day even after 7 to 9 hours in bed; or if you fall asleep at times you can't control. These can be signs of sleep apnea or another sleep disorder that needs a proper diagnosis.

Frequently asked questions

How do I know if I am sleep deprived?

Common signs are needing an alarm to wake up, falling asleep within 5 minutes of lying down, nodding off when you sit still, sleeping much longer on days off, and regularly getting under 7 hours a night.

Is this sleep deprivation quiz a medical test?

No. It is a self-check based on common signs of short sleep. It cannot diagnose sleep apnea, insomnia or any other condition. See a doctor if you snore loudly, gasp at night or are severely sleepy during the day.

Can you be sleep deprived and not feel tired?

Yes. In lab studies, people restricted to 6 hours a night kept getting worse on attention tests while rating themselves only slightly sleepy.

How do I fix sleep deprivation?

Keep a fixed wake-up time and go to bed 30 to 60 minutes earlier for a week or two. Spread the extra sleep out rather than relying on long weekend lie-ins.

Does this quiz store my answers?

No. The score is worked out in your browser, and your answers are not saved or sent anywhere.

Sources

  1. Van Dongen HPA et al. The cumulative cost of additional wakefulness: dose-response effects on neurobehavioral functions and sleep physiology from chronic sleep restriction and total sleep deprivation. Sleep, 2003.
  2. Watson NF et al. Recommended amount of sleep for a healthy adult. Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine, 2015.
  3. Ohayon M et al. National Sleep Foundation's sleep quality recommendations: first report. Sleep Health, 2017.
  4. Depner CM et al. Ad libitum weekend recovery sleep fails to prevent metabolic dysregulation during a repeating pattern of insufficient sleep and weekend recovery sleep. Current Biology, 2019.

Related reading

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These results are general estimates, not medical advice. Everyone's sleep is a little different. If you're often exhausted despite enough time in bed, snore loudly, or have been told you stop breathing in your sleep, see a doctor.