Test Yourself
If you think you may suffer from obstructive sleep apnea or some other sleep breathing disorder, there are several simple tests you can take that may suggest you should discuss the possibility with your health care provider. Remember, though, that one of the best tests may be a complaint by your bed partner that you snore loudly or that you stop breathing repeatedly while you're asleep.
Four tests that you can take right now are the American Sleep Apnea Association's own Snore Score, the STOP-BANG screener*, the Epworth Sleepiness Scale, and the Berlin Sleep Questionnaire. STOP-BANG asks for you to enter your body-mass index. If you don't know what your BMI is, the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute will help you calculate it.
* Permission to use the STOP BANG screener was taken away by:
Lippincott Williams and Wilkins Journal
Wolters Kluwer Health
Click for more information on STOP-BANG
