How to Use the Sleep Apnea Risk Checker
Loud snoring paired with daytime fatigue isn't always just tiredness — it can be a sign of sleep apnea. This calculator uses the internationally recognized STOP-BANG screening scale, combining snoring, tiredness, observed apnea, and blood pressure with your BMI, age, neck size, and gender to produce a risk score.
Across 8 factors — snoring, tiredness, observed apnea, high blood pressure, BMI over 35, age over 50, neck circumference over 16 inches, and male gender — each one that applies adds a point. A total of 0-2 is low risk, 3-4 is intermediate risk, and 5-8 is high risk. A larger neck and higher body weight both narrow the airway during sleep, which is why they factor into the score.
Keep in mind this result is a screening tool, not a diagnostic test that can replace an in-lab or home sleep study. If you score intermediate or higher, or regularly deal with loud snoring and daytime sleepiness, it's worth seeing a doctor or sleep specialist for a proper evaluation.
Frequently Asked Questions
It adds up how many of 8 factors apply: snoring, tiredness, observed apnea, high blood pressure, BMI over 35, age over 50, neck circumference over 16 inches, and male gender. A score of 0-2 is low risk, 3-4 is intermediate, and 5-8 is high risk.
No. STOP-BANG is a screening tool, not a diagnostic test. A high-risk score means it's worth seeing a doctor or sleep specialist for a proper evaluation, such as a sleep study, rather than a confirmed diagnosis.
Extra fat around the neck can narrow the airway during sleep, so a larger neck circumference is associated with a higher chance of airway obstruction and apnea events.