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STOP-BANG

Obstructive sleep apnea risk

The questions · 8

  1. Snoring: Do you snore loudly (louder than talking, or heard through a closed door)?
  2. Tired: Do you often feel tired, fatigued or sleepy during the daytime?
  3. Observed: Has anyone observed you stop breathing, choking or gasping during sleep?
  4. Pressure: Do you have, or are you being treated for, high blood pressure?
  5. BMI: Is your BMI more than 35 kg/m²?
  6. Age: Are you older than 50?
  7. Neck: Is your neck circumference larger than 40 cm (≈16 in)?
  8. Gender: Are you male?

How scores are read

Low risk

Few apnea markers. If you still wake unrefreshed or snore, keep tracking morning feel and re-screen in a few months.

Next step: No action needed. Optional: run a wearable with SpO₂ for a few weeks and watch for overnight dips.

Intermediate risk

You carry several markers of obstructive sleep apnea. Remember most cases go undiagnosed, and it doesn't always wake you.

Next step: Show this score to your doctor and ask about a home sleep test or sleep study. Meanwhile track SpO₂ minimums and snoring.

High risk

High probability of clinically significant apnea. Untreated apnea is tied to long-term mortality, cognition, mood, recovery and metabolic health.

Next step: Take this score to a doctor and request a sleep study (polysomnography or home test). Treatments now target the type of apnea — ask for a precise diagnosis rather than a generic CPAP prescription.

Sources

STOP questionnaireOrigin of the STOP-Bang screen; ≥3 'yes' answers = high sensitivity for moderate-severe OSA.Estimation of the clinically diagnosed proportion of sleep apnea syndrome in middle-aged…~82% of men and ~93% of women with moderate-to-severe apnea were undiagnosed — the numbers Galpin quotes.Estimation of the global prevalence and burden of obstructive sleep apnoea~936 million adults aged 30–69 have OSA worldwide; ~425 million moderate-to-severe.Increased prevalence of sleep-disordered breathing in adultsPrevalence in US adults 30–70: ~26% of men and ~9–17% of women; rising with obesity.Relationship between overnight rostral fluid shift and obstructive sleep apnea in…Fluid moving from the legs to the neck when lying down narrows the airway — apnea without obesity (Galpin's tipped-glass analogy).Defining phenotypic causes of obstructive sleep apneaOSA has anatomical and non-anatomical phenotypes (muscle responsiveness, arousal threshold, loop gain) — the basis of precision treatment.Long-term cardiovascular outcomes in men with obstructive sleep apnoea-hypopnoea with or…Untreated severe OSA tripled fatal and non-fatal cardiovascular events over ~10 years; CPAP normalised the risk.

Frequently asked questions

What does my STOP-BANG score mean?

Few apnea markers. If you still wake unrefreshed or snore, keep tracking morning feel and re-screen in a few months.

Is the STOP-BANG questionnaire free?

Yes — all five screening questionnaires are included in SleepShred, scored automatically, with your history kept on your iPhone.

Is SleepShred free?

No. SleepShred Pro is $4.99 per month or $29.99 per year, with no free trial and no ads. Everything stays on your iPhone.

Track it, don't guess it

SleepShred turns this research into a 20-second daily habit: log your night, see which of your own behaviours move your sleep, and screen for the disorders nobody diagnoses.

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Educational summary of published research, not medical advice. Screening scores are not diagnoses. If a score is elevated or you feel unwell, talk to a clinician.