π΄ STOP-Bang Sleep Apnea Calculator
Eight questions that spot sleep apnea risk.
STOP-Bang score (0-8)
For informational purposes only, not medical advice.
STOP-Bang scores eight yes-or-no questions, one point each: snoring, tiredness, observed apneas, blood pressure, BMI over 35, age over 50, neck over 40 cm, and male gender. A score of 0 to 2 is low risk, 3 to 4 intermediate, and 5 to 8 high risk for obstructive sleep apnea. Someone answering yes to snoring, tiredness, hypertension, BMI, age, and gender scores 6: high risk.
Developed for pre-surgical screening, STOP-Bang is now the most validated sleep apnea questionnaire in use, with sensitivity above 90 percent for moderate to severe apnea at the standard cutoff. It does not diagnose; it decides who needs the overnight sleep study that does.
How to Use This Calculator
Answer each question honestly. For neck size, measure around the Adam's apple; for BMI, use our calculator if you are unsure. The score updates with every answer.
Answer the four STOP symptom questions: snoring loud enough to hear through walls, daytime tiredness, witnessed apneas, and treated or measured high blood pressure.
Answer the four Bang risk factors: BMI above 35, age above 50, neck circumference above 40 cm, and male sex.
Read your score and risk band. At 3 or above, bring the result to your doctor to discuss a sleep study.
Why These Eight Questions
Each item is an independent apnea predictor. Snoring and witnessed apneas are the airway collapsing audibly. Daytime tiredness is the fragmented sleep showing up at work. Hypertension, big neck, high BMI, older age, and male sex all narrow or load the upper airway. The questionnaire's power is that it combines symptoms people notice with risk factors they can measure, which is why it beats any single question.
The sensitivity trade-off is deliberate: at a cutoff of 3, STOP-Bang catches nearly all moderate-to-severe apnea but flags many people who test normal. That is fine for screening. A high score is a ticket to testing, not a diagnosis, and the sleep study remains the judge.
Worked Example
A 55-year-old man with BMI 37, hypertension, loud snoring, and daytime tiredness, but no witnessed apneas and a 38 cm neck: yes to snoring, tired, pressure, BMI, age, and gender is 6 points, with no for observed apnea and neck. The total is 6 of 8, high risk.
His STOP subscore is 3 of 4 and Bang 3 of 4, a balanced profile. In practice this patient gets referred for polysomnography or a home sleep test, and given the symptom burden, most sleep physicians would test even at a lower score. The questionnaire confirmed what the story already suggested.
Reading Your Result
| Score | Risk | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| 0 to 2 | Low | No action needed now; recheck if symptoms appear. |
| 3 to 4 | Intermediate | Mention it at your next checkup, sooner if symptoms bother you. |
| 5 to 8 | High | Ask your doctor about a sleep study. Do not wait on severe symptoms. |
Refinements exist: a STOP score of 2 or more plus male gender, BMI over 35, or large neck upgrades intermediate scores to high. My take: if you scored 3 or 4 but your snoring rattles windows and you doze at red lights, act like a high score. Questionnaires serve symptoms, not the reverse.
Limits
STOP-Bang was validated mostly in surgical and sleep-clinic populations, so its accuracy in the general public is less certain. It also misses apnea in people with atypical profiles, such as thin young women with insomnia-type symptoms. And it says nothing about central sleep apnea, which needs different testing. A low score with real symptoms still deserves evaluation.
Related Tools
Check the BMI item precisely with the BMI calculator, review your rest with the sleep cycle calculator, and put the blood pressure item in context with the blood pressure checker.
For informational purposes only, not medical advice. Consult a healthcare professional.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the STOP-Bang questionnaire?
An 8-item screening tool for obstructive sleep apnea. STOP covers symptoms (snoring, tiredness, observed apneas, blood pressure) and Bang covers risk factors (BMI, age, neck circumference, gender). Each yes is one point; 0-2 is low risk, 3-4 intermediate, 5-8 high.
How accurate is STOP-Bang?
Very sensitive: at a cutoff of 3 it detects over 90 percent of moderate-to-severe apnea in validation studies. Specificity is lower, so many high scorers test normal. It is designed to avoid missing cases, with the sleep study as the confirmatory step.
What score means I need a sleep study?
Guidelines generally suggest discussing testing at 3 or above, and strongly at 5 or above. Severe symptoms like witnessed apneas or falling asleep while driving warrant evaluation at any score.
Can I have sleep apnea with a low STOP-Bang score?
Yes. The tool misses some profiles, including thinner younger patients and those with insomnia-predominant symptoms. It is a screening aid, not a rule-out test; persistent symptoms deserve evaluation regardless of score.
What is the difference between STOP and Bang?
STOP is the symptom half: things you feel or others observe. Bang is the risk-factor half: measurable traits that predispose to airway collapse. Both halves contribute equally to the total.
Does STOP-Bang diagnose sleep apnea?
No. Only an overnight sleep study, in a lab or at home, diagnoses apnea by measuring breathing interruptions directly. STOP-Bang estimates pre-test probability to decide who should be studied.
Why is neck circumference included?
A larger neck means more soft tissue around the upper airway, which collapses more easily during sleep. The 40 cm (about 16 inch) cutoff marks the point where risk climbs meaningfully.
Is STOP-Bang used before surgery?
Yes, that was its original purpose. Undiagnosed apnea raises anesthesia risk, so surgical teams screen with STOP-Bang and adjust monitoring for high scorers. It has since spread to primary care and cardiology.
What happens after a high score?
Your doctor may order a home sleep test or in-lab polysomnography. If apnea is confirmed, treatment ranges from CPAP to positional therapy, oral appliances, or weight management depending on severity.
Can lifestyle changes lower my score?
Weight loss can move the BMI item and often improves apnea itself; treating blood pressure and avoiding alcohol before bed help symptoms. But the score is a screening snapshot, and diagnosed apnea needs proper treatment, not just a lower score.