What's Keeping You Awake?
Sleep

Quiz: Have you ever had trouble sleeping at night? It's estimated that most Americans do not get anywhere near the 8 hours a night of sleep that experts recommend. Millions of us are kept awake by a wide variety of sleep disorders and syndromes.

The following quiz will help you assess whether you have a clinically diagnosable problem getting the sleep you need. It was adapted for the NBC Nightly News website with the help of the Northside Hospital Sleep Disorders Center in Atlanta.

Check the statements that apply to you, hit the "enter" button, and you'll get an assessment of the sleep disorders you might be suffering from.

Note: This quiz is intended as a general source of educational information and does not contain medical advice. It should not be used for diagnosis or treatment. Getting an evaluation at a fully accredited sleep disorder center is the best way to determine if you have a sleep-related medical problem.

1. I have been told that I snore.
2. I have been told that I hold my breath while I sleep.
3. I have high blood pressure.
4. My friends and family say that I'm often grumpy and irritable.
5. I wish I had more energy.
6. I get morning headaches.
7. I often wake up gasping for breath.
8. I am overweight.
9. I often feel sleepy and struggle to remain alert during the day.
10. I frequently wake with a dry mouth.
11. I have difficulty falling asleep.
12. Thoughts race through my mind and prevent me from getting to sleep.
13. I anticipate a problem with sleep several times a week.
14. I often wake up and have trouble going back to sleep.
15. I worry about things and have trouble relaxing.
16. I wake up earlier in the morning than I would like to.
17. I lie awake for half an hour or more before I fall asleep.
18. I often feel sad or depressed because I can't sleep.
19. I have trouble concentrating at work or school.
20. When I am angry or surprised, I feel like my muscles are going limp.
21. I have fallen asleep while driving.
22. I often feel like I am in a daze.
23. I have experienced vivid dreamlike scenes upon falling asleep or awakening.
24. I have fallen asleep in social settings such as movies or at a party.
25. I have vivid dreams soon after falling asleep or during naps.
26. I have "sleep attacks" during the day no matter how hard I try to stay awake.
27. I have episodes of feeling paralyzed during my sleep.
28. I wake up at night with an acid/sour taste in my mouth.
29. I wake up at night coughing or wheezing.
30. I have frequent sore throats.
31. I have heartburn at night.
32. During the night I suddenly wake up feeling like I am choking.
33. I have noticed (or others have commented) that parts of my body jerk during sleep.
34. I have been told that I kick and jerk during sleep.
35. When trying to go to sleep, I experience an aching or crawling sensation in my legs.
36. I experience leg pain or cramps at night.
37. Sometimes I can't keep my legs still at night, I just have to move them to feel comfortable.
38. Even though I slept during the night, I feel sleepy during the day.

Back to Sleep

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