# Sleep Apnea Risk Check

Eight yes or no questions. About one minute. Then where to get a sleep test.

Most people with sleep apnea do not know they have it. This check uses STOP BANG, the same eight questions many doctors use to decide who should get a sleep test. It cannot tell you if you have sleep apnea. It can tell you if a test is worth asking for.

## How the Score Works

Each yes counts as one point, for a score from zero to eight.

- **Zero to two** is low risk.
- **Three or four** is middle risk.
- **Five to eight** is high risk.

A lower score can still be high risk. If you said yes to two or more of the first four questions, and you are also male, have a BMI over 35, or have a large neck, the check counts you as high risk. That rule comes from the team that made STOP BANG.

BMI here is your weight in pounds times 703, divided by your height in inches squared. That is the formula the CDC uses for adults.

## Find a Sleep Test Near You

A sleep test is the only way to know. NightWells lists 1,219 places for an overnight study in a lab and 42 places that say they offer a home sleep test, in the states we cover so far.

- **Ohio** [356 for an overnight lab study](https://nightwells.com/providers/ohio/#in-lab) and [9 that offer a home test](https://nightwells.com/providers/ohio/#home-test)
- **Michigan** [256 for an overnight lab study](https://nightwells.com/providers/michigan/#in-lab) and [18 that offer a home test](https://nightwells.com/providers/michigan/#home-test)
- **Indiana** [212 for an overnight lab study](https://nightwells.com/providers/indiana/#in-lab) and [5 that offer a home test](https://nightwells.com/providers/indiana/#home-test)
- **Kentucky** [153 for an overnight lab study](https://nightwells.com/providers/kentucky/#in-lab) and [3 that offer a home test](https://nightwells.com/providers/kentucky/#home-test)
- **Pennsylvania** [242 for an overnight lab study](https://nightwells.com/providers/pennsylvania/#in-lab) and [7 that offer a home test](https://nightwells.com/providers/pennsylvania/#home-test)

Not sure which kind of test? Read [Home Test or Lab](https://nightwells.com/learn/home-test-or-lab/), [what to expect at a sleep study](https://nightwells.com/blog/what-to-expect-at-a-sleep-study/), and [whether insurance covers it](https://nightwells.com/blog/does-insurance-cover-a-sleep-study/). You can also [search by name or town](https://nightwells.com/lookup/).

## Common Questions

### What is STOP BANG?

It is a short list of eight yes or no questions doctors use to screen for sleep apnea. Each letter stands for one question. Snoring, Tired, Observed, Pressure, BMI, Age, Neck and Gender. It was built at Toronto Western Hospital and is used in clinics and before surgery around the world.

### What does my STOP BANG score mean?

Zero to two yes answers is low risk. Three or four is middle risk. Five or more is high risk. You can also be high risk with fewer yes answers, if two of the first four are yes and you are male, have a BMI over 35, or have a large neck.

### How good is STOP BANG?

It is good at not missing people. In the first study a score of three or more caught about 9 in 10 people with moderate or severe sleep apnea, and all of the people with severe apnea. It also flags many people who turn out not to have it. That is why it leads to a test, not a diagnosis.

### Can this check tell me if I have sleep apnea?

No. Only a sleep study can show that. A low score does not rule it out, and a high score does not prove it. Use the result as a reason to talk with a clinician.

### What should I do with a high score?

Ask your doctor or a sleep clinic about a sleep test. Many people can do a home test in their own bed. Others need a night in a sleep lab. Read [Home Test or Lab](https://nightwells.com/learn/home-test-or-lab/) to see which fits.

## Where These Facts Come From

- [STOP BANG questionnaire, Toronto Western Hospital (stopbang.ca)](http://www.stopbang.ca/)
- [Chung and others, STOP questionnaire, Anesthesiology 2008](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18431116/)
- [Chung and others, STOP BANG, a practical approach, Chest 2016](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26378880/)
- [CDC, adult BMI calculator and formula](https://www.cdc.gov/bmi/adult-calculator/index.html)

NightWells publishes information, not medical advice. This check is a screening tool only. It does not diagnose sleep apnea or any other condition, and a low score does not rule it out. If you stop breathing in your sleep, feel very sleepy while driving, or have chest pain, see a clinician soon. The questions are put in plain words from STOP BANG, and the scoring is the STOP BANG scoring.

Source page: https://nightwells.com/tools/risk-check/