Sleep Self-Assessment Results

The STOP Bang questionnaire is clinically validated to screen for Obstructive Sleep Apnea.*

The results of your questionnaire indicate you are:

Moderate Risk


This means you have an increased risk of having Obstructive Sleep Apnea. Get started with a sleep apnea program now.

What is Obstructive Sleep Apnea?

'Apnea' means 'no breath.'

Obstructive Sleep Apnea occurs when the muscles of the throat relax during sleep, narrowing and eventually blocking the airway.

Obstructive Sleep Apnea occurs when muscles of the soft palate (airway) and throat relax during sleep, obstructing the airway and making breathing difficult and noisy (snoring).

Eventually the airway walls collapse, blocking airflow. Breathing then pauses or stops (apnea). Paused breathing can result in a drop of blood oxygen levels. Since oxygen is the fuel for the cardiovascular system, this stresses the heart and puts the sleeper at a greater risk for heart attack or stroke.

Medical professionals and insurance carriers recognize sleep apnea as a significant, potentially life-threatening condition requiring prompt diagnosis and treatment. Sleep Apnea diagnosis is covered by most insurances and Medicare. Many treatment options are covered as well.

Typically, snoring is no more than an inconvenience and is not life-threatening, however, it can be the main symptom of sleep apnea. For a person with sleep apnea, breathing stops from 10 seconds to more than a minute at a time, and these attacks can occur from five to more than one hundred times an hour during sleep.

Symptoms

  • Loud, irregular snoring
  • Daytime sleepiness
  • Morning headaches
  • Weight gain
  • High blood pressure
  • Obesity
  • Falling asleep while driving
  • Sexual dysfunction
  • Anxiety or depression
  • Trouble sleeping/insomnia

STOP Bang questionnaire, Chung F et al Brit J Anaesth 2012;108:768-75.
*Although initially developed to screen for OSA in patients undergoing surgery, further studies show that this test performs well in people who are not going to have surgery. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26658438
Validated in Portuguese with primary care patients: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29285601
Validated as a screening tool in the general population: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26378880 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27938922