The following test is a rendition of The Maas Robbins Alertness Questionnaire, developed by sleep expert James B. Maas, PhD, a pioneer of sleep research and a recently retired professor at Cornell University.
Please indicate true or false for the following statements:
I often need an alarm clock in order to wake up at the appropriate time.
It's often a struggle for me to get out of bed in the morning.
Weekday mornings I often hit the snooze bar several times.
I often feel tired and stressed out during the week.
I often feel moody and irritable, and little things upset me.
I often have trouble concentrating and remembering.
I often feel slow with critical thinking, problem solving and being creative.
I need caffeine to get going in the morning or make it through the afternoon.
I often wake up craving junk food, sugars and carbohydrates.
I often fall asleep watching TV.
I often fall asleep in boring meetings or lectures or in warm rooms.
I often fall asleep after heavy meals or after a low dose of alcohol.
I often fall asleep while relaxing after dinner.
I often fall asleep within five minutes of getting into bed.
I often feel drowsy while driving.
I often sleep extra hours on the weekends.
I often need a nap to get through the day.
I have dark circles around my eyes.
I fall asleep easily when watching a movie.
I rely on energy drinks or over-the-counter medications to keep me awake.
If you answered “True” to four or more of these statements, consider yourself seriously sleep-deprived.
