Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index Calculator

Introduction

The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, usually shortened to PSQI, is a widely used way to summarize recent sleep quality. The full questionnaire asks about the past month and groups answers into component scores for subjective sleep quality, sleep latency, sleep duration, sleep efficiency, sleep disturbances, sleep medication use, and daytime dysfunction. This calculator is a simplified PSQI-style screener. It keeps the same 0 to 3 scoring idea for core sleep-quality patterns, but it is not the full official instrument and it is not a diagnosis.

Use the score as a structured prompt for reflection. A low result suggests your recent answers are broadly consistent with better sleep quality. A higher result means your sleep may deserve closer attention, especially if the same pattern repeats for more than a few weeks, affects work or driving, or includes breathing pauses, loud snoring, chest discomfort, severe daytime sleepiness, or medication concerns.

How to use this calculator

Answer each question for the past month rather than for one unusual night. Choose the frequency option that best matches your usual pattern, then enter your average hours of actual sleep. The calculator adds the selected component values and a sleep-duration component. Lower component values are better; higher values represent more frequent or more severe sleep difficulty.

After you run the calculator, read the result and the component breakdown together. One total score can hide different stories. A person with short sleep duration may need a different next step than someone with normal duration but frequent breathing discomfort or heavy daytime sleepiness. If your result is high, use the score to organize notes for a clinician rather than to self-diagnose.

Formula and scoring method

The full PSQI global score is the sum of seven component scores:

Each component ranges from 0 to 3, so the full questionnaire ranges from 0 to 21. This page uses six quick inputs and produces a simplified 0 to 18 score. The sleep-duration component adds 0 points for 7 or more hours, 1 point for 6 to under 7 hours, 2 points for 5 to under 6 hours, and 3 points for under 5 hours. The other five questions add their selected 0 to 3 values directly.

Worked example

Suppose you rate overall sleep quality as fairly bad (2), have trouble falling asleep once or twice a week (2), sleep about 5.5 hours (2), feel sleepy during the day less than once a week (1), do not use sleep medication (0), and report no breathing discomfort (0). The simplified score is 7. That falls into the middle range: not an emergency by itself, but a useful signal to review bedtime timing, caffeine, stress, sleep environment, and whether symptoms keep repeating.

Interpretation guide

Assumptions and limitations

This tool relies on self-reported answers, so recall bias matters. It does not measure oxygen levels, breathing events, limb movements, circadian rhythm disorders, medication interactions, pain, anxiety, depression, or work schedules. It also simplifies the official PSQI scoring method, especially sleep efficiency and the full set of disturbance questions. Treat the result as a screening estimate, not a medical diagnosis or treatment plan.

Seek qualified medical advice if high scores persist, if you regularly feel dangerously sleepy, if another person notices gasping or breathing pauses during sleep, if you fall asleep while driving, or if you are changing sedatives, stimulants, alcohol use, or other medications. Official questionnaires, sleep diaries, actigraphy, or a sleep study may be needed for a complete evaluation.