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Sleep Apnea Test (STOP-BANG)

Free STOP-BANG sleep apnea screen. 8 yes/no questions, 60 seconds. Anesthesiologists use this before surgery worldwide. Validated by Chung 2008.

Last updated: Sources verified:

How the STOP-BANG is calculated

STOP-BANG asks 8 yes/no questions. Each “yes” scores 1 point. The mnemonic spells out the items:

  • S — Snore loudly?
  • T — Tired during the daytime?
  • O — Observed apnea (someone has seen you stop breathing)?
  • P — Pressure (treated for high blood pressure)?
  • B — BMI > 35?
  • A — Age > 50?
  • N — Neck circumference > 17”/43 cm (men) or 16”/41 cm (women)?
  • G — Gender = male?

Scores 0-2 indicate low risk, 3-4 intermediate, ≥5 high risk of moderate-to-severe obstructive sleep apnea. In Chung’s original validation against in-lab polysomnography, sensitivity for moderate-severe OSA was ~93% at the ≥3 threshold and specificity rose to ~80% at ≥5.

What your score means

ScoreRisk bandWhat clinicians do next
0–2Low riskNo further OSA workup unless symptoms emerge later
3–4IntermediateConsider home sleep test, especially if signals stack (HTN, snoring + tiredness, partner reports)
5+High riskSleep study indicated within weeks; treat as fast-track in many systems

The cut-offs were chosen to maximize sensitivity for moderate-severe disease, since under-diagnosis is the bigger cost than over-testing.

When this test is most useful — and when it isn’t

The STOP-BANG works best when:

  • You’re considering surgery and your anesthesiologist needs a pre-op risk estimate
  • You snore and your partner has nudged you toward checking
  • You have hard-to-control hypertension and want to rule OSA in or out
  • You’re tired on most days despite enough hours of sleep

It is less useful when:

  • You’re under 18 — pediatric OSA is screened differently
  • You’re a slim, young woman without snoring — the score may underestimate (women’s OSA can present without classic features)
  • You’re already diagnosed and treated — you don’t need to re-screen yourself

Sleep apnea vs insomnia — different problems, different fixes

Both make you tired, but the path is different:

  • Sleep apnea — your throat closes during sleep, oxygen drops, you partially wake repeatedly without remembering. CPAP fixes most cases.
  • Insomnia — you can’t fall or stay asleep. Hours in bed don’t translate into sleep. CBT-I (cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia) is the strongest treatment.
  • Excessive daytime sleepiness without obvious apnea or insomnia — could be circadian, narcolepsy, depression, medication side-effect. The Epworth Sleepiness Scale catches the “sleepy” picture; STOP-BANG catches the “stop breathing” picture.

If you’re tired and unsure where to start, do both: STOP-BANG and Epworth.

Sources verified: 2026-05-02

The STOP-BANG was developed by Frances Chung and the University of Toronto Department of Anesthesia in 2008 specifically for pre-operative OSA risk stratification, then validated in primary-care, sleep-clinic, and population samples worldwide. The American Academy of Sleep Medicine and many surgical societies endorse it as a brief screen.

Privacy

Calculation runs entirely in your browser. We never see, log, or store your individual answers. Anonymous, aggregate events (e.g., which severity band your result fell into) help us improve the tool. This is informational, not medical advice — see your doctor before starting or changing any treatment.

Frequently asked questions

Does a high STOP-BANG mean I definitely have sleep apnea?
No. STOP-BANG is a screen, not a diagnosis. A score ≥5 raises the probability of moderate-severe OSA to about 50%, but confirmation requires a sleep study (polysomnography or home sleep test). The screen is highly sensitive (catches most true cases) but less specific (some false positives), which is the right trade-off for a pre-test.
Why does the test count being male as a point?
Sleep apnea prevalence is roughly 2-3× higher in men than women, especially before menopause. The G in STOP-BANG (Gender = male) reflects this real epidemiologic difference. After menopause, the gap narrows and women catch up.
I snore but feel fine. Should I still get tested?
Snoring alone is common (≈30% of adults) and most snorers don't have OSA. But snoring + observed apneas + daytime sleepiness is the classic triad. If you score ≥3 on STOP-BANG, a conversation with your GP is worth having even if you feel okay — untreated OSA does damage silently.
Will diagnosis affect my driving license?
In some countries (UK, parts of EU), diagnosed OSA with daytime sleepiness must be reported to the licensing authority, especially for commercial drivers. Treated OSA (CPAP-adherent) usually doesn't affect license status. Check your local rules — being diagnosed and treated is generally better legally than being undiagnosed and crashing.
Does my data leave my device?
No. The calculation runs in your browser. We never see your individual answers. Anonymous bucket counts (e.g., 'low/intermediate/high risk') help us improve the page; no personally identifying information is collected.

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Sources

  1. STOP questionnaire: a tool to screen patients for obstructive sleep apnea — Anesthesiology (Chung et al., 2008) (peer reviewed, retrieved 2026-05-02)
  2. High STOP-BANG score indicates a high probability of obstructive sleep apnea — British Journal of Anaesthesia (Chung et al., 2012) (peer reviewed, retrieved 2026-05-02)
  3. Adult Obstructive Sleep Apnea Task Force — American Academy of Sleep Medicine (Epstein et al., 2009) (guideline, retrieved 2026-05-02)