Take the check
The Insomnia Severity Index asks how your sleep has been over the last fortnight, and how much it's affecting your days. Answer for the recent pattern, not your worst-ever night.
Free insomnia self-check
7 questions · about 2 minutes · no sign-up, nothing stored
What your score means
Seven items scored out of 28. The usual bands:
- 0–7 — no significant insomnia. Sleep isn't currently a major problem. Worth re-checking if things change.
- 8–14 — subthreshold. Some trouble, not yet severe. Often responds well to a tighter sleep routine.
- 15–21 — moderate insomnia. Sleep is likely costing you something in the day. A good point to act rather than wait it out.
- 22–28 — severe insomnia. A heavy load. Structured support — ideally CBT for insomnia — is genuinely worth arranging.
What actually helps with sleep
None of this replaces support, but all of it is worth doing while you decide:
- Fix the wake-up time first. A constant wake time, even after a bad night, resets your clock faster than chasing an early bedtime.
- Leave the bed if you're awake. Lying awake trains your brain to associate bed with frustration. Get up, do something dull in dim light, return when sleepy.
- Cut the clock-watching. Turn the phone and clock away. Checking the time mid-night spikes the exact anxiety that keeps you up.
- Protect the wind-down hour. Screens off, lights low, nothing stressful. Your brain needs a runway, not a hard stop.
- Go easy on 'catch-up' sleep. Long lie-ins and naps feel kind but push the next night later. Consistency beats recovery here.
When self-help isn't enough
Sleep hygiene works while insomnia is still occasional. It works less well once you're anxious about sleep itself, once you've been poor-sleeping for more than a few weeks, or once the day is clearly suffering. That's the stage where CBT for insomnia (CBT-I) — the first-line, drug-free treatment — is worth asking about, and where a counselling conversation can address the stress or worry that's often sitting underneath.
Talking to someone about it
A Lume Live session is a confidential 1:1 conversation with Sachin Bajaj, who holds an M.Sc in Clinical Psychology (Gurugram University) and a PGDGC from Jamia Millia Islamia. Sessions are ₹499 for 45 minutes, with your first at ₹249 using code FIRST50 — priced so that finding out whether it helps doesn't require asking anyone for money.
Nothing is shared with your parents, school, college or employer, and you can book using a first name only. For most people that matters more than the price.
Book a first session — ₹249
One 45-minute conversation. Pick your own slot and get the invite immediately. No package, no commitment to a course of treatment.
Frequently asked questions
Is this test free and private?
Completely. No sign-up, no email, no payment. Your answers aren't stored, sent or seen by anyone — they stay in your browser for the length of the check and are gone when you close the tab.
Does this diagnose insomnia?
No. The ISI is a severity and screening scale, not a diagnostic tool. It tells you how much sleep is affecting you — useful information — but a proper assessment rules out other causes.
What is the ISI?
The Insomnia Severity Index is a seven-item questionnaire about your sleep difficulty, satisfaction and daytime impact over two weeks, scored out of 28.
Should I just take sleeping tablets?
For ongoing insomnia, the recommended first-line treatment is CBT for insomnia, not medication — it works better long-term and without dependence. Tablets have a place short-term, but that's a conversation for a doctor.
Is it anonymous?
Yes. No name, email or phone number to take it, and nothing recorded. If you later book a session, a first name is enough.