Free surgery & anesthesia tool
STOP-Bang Calculator: Sleep Apnea Questionnaire Score
The STOP-Bang questionnaire scores eight yes/no items, one point each: Snoring, Tired, Observed apnea, Pressure (high blood pressure), BMI over 35, Age over 50, Neck circumference over 40 cm and male Gender. A score of 0 to 2 is low risk for obstructive sleep apnea, 3 to 4 is intermediate, and 5 to 8 is high. It screens; it does not diagnose. Answer the items below to get the score.
Prepared by Prospyr · Reviewed October 3, 2026 · Free, no sign-up, runs in your browser
Answer yes to each item that applies (1 point each)
The four STOP questions come first, then the four Bang items. Everything unticked is a no.
STOP-Bang score
0of 8
Low risk of obstructive sleep apnea
A score of 0 to 2 is classed as low risk for moderate to severe OSA.
STOP items ticked: 0 of 4.
| Score | Class |
|---|---|
| 0 to 2 | Low |
| 3 to 4 | Intermediate (high if STOP 2+ and male, BMI over 35, or neck over 40 cm) |
| 5 to 8 | High |
Decision support only; it does not replace clinical judgment. STOP-Bang is a screening questionnaire, not a diagnosis. Only a sleep study diagnoses sleep apnea.
STOP-Bang score: the eight questions and how to count them
Each yes is 1 point, so the score runs from 0 to 8.
| Letter | Item | Counts as yes when |
|---|---|---|
| S | Snoring | Do you snore loudly (louder than talking or loud enough to be heard through closed doors)? |
| T | Tired | Do you often feel tired, fatigued or sleepy during the daytime? |
| O | Observed | Has anyone observed you stop breathing during your sleep? |
| P | Pressure | Do you have, or are you being treated for, high blood pressure? |
| B | BMI over 35 | Body mass index above 35 kg/m². |
| A | Age over 50 | Older than 50 years. |
| N | Neck circumference over 40 cm | Neck circumference greater than 40 cm (about 15.75 inches). |
| G | Gender male | Male sex. |
STOP-Bang questionnaire risk classes and published probabilities
The classification below is from Chung, Abdullah and Liao (Chest 2016) and Chung et al. (J Clin Sleep Med 2014). Probabilities are what the studies reported in surgical patients.
| STOP-Bang score | Risk class | Reported probability |
|---|---|---|
| 0 to 2 | Low | 18% moderate to severe OSA; 4% severe |
| 3 to 4 | Intermediate. High if STOP 2+ and male, BMI over 35 or neck over 40 cm | 36% moderate to severe OSA at a score of 3 (Chung 2012) |
| 5 to 8 | High | Up to 60% moderate to severe and 38% severe at 7 to 8 |
Chung 2012 also reported odds ratios for moderate to severe OSA of 4.8 at a score of 5, 6.3 at 6, and 6.9 at 7 and 8.
Worked examples
- 55-year-old man who snores, has hypertension, BMI 31, neck 41 cm. Snoring 1, Pressure 1, Age over 50 1, Neck over 40 cm 1, male 1. Total 5, which is high risk.
- 45-year-old woman who snores loudly and is often tired, BMI 36, neck 36 cm. Snoring 1, Tired 1, BMI over 35 1. Total 3, normally intermediate. Her STOP score is 2 and BMI is above 35, so she is classed as high risk.
- 38-year-old woman, no snoring, no daytime sleepiness, BMI 24. Total 0, low risk.
STOP-Bang in procedural and aesthetic practices
The questionnaire takes about a minute and was built for preoperative clinics, so it fits intake for procedures that involve sedation or anesthesia. Recording the answers on a digital form means the score is already in the chart when the provider reviews the patient. Prospyr's digital intake collects forms before the visit, and charting keeps the result with the rest of the record.
It pairs with other preoperative tools on this site: the ASA physical status classification, the Apfel score calculator and the RCRI calculator. For a practice that offers procedures in a procedure room, see plastic surgery practice software.
Frequently asked questions
What is the STOP-Bang questionnaire?
STOP-Bang is an eight-item yes/no questionnaire that screens for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Chung and colleagues developed and validated it in surgical patients at preoperative clinics. The four STOP questions cover snoring, tiredness, observed apnea and high blood pressure, and the four Bang items are BMI, age, neck circumference and male gender.
What is a positive STOP-Bang score?
A score of 3 or more is the usual screening threshold. At 3 or more, the questionnaire's sensitivity for moderate to severe OSA (AHI above 15) was 93% in Chung's 2016 review, and 100% for severe OSA (AHI above 30). Chung classes 0 to 2 as low risk, 3 to 4 as intermediate and 5 to 8 as high.
How is a STOP-Bang score of 3 or 4 classified?
It is the intermediate range, and further criteria apply. A STOP score of 2 or more (two or more of the first four questions) plus male gender, BMI above 35 kg/m², or neck circumference above 40 cm classifies the patient as high risk. This calculator applies that rule automatically.
Does a high STOP-Bang score mean I have sleep apnea?
No. It means the screening result is high risk. In Chung's 2016 review, the probability of moderate to severe OSA rose from 18% at scores of 0 to 2 to 60% at 7 to 8. A sleep study is what establishes the diagnosis.
What is the neck circumference cutoff for STOP-Bang?
The questionnaire uses a neck circumference greater than 40 cm (about 15.75 inches), as in Chung's original and 2014 papers. If your protocol specifies a different cutoff, follow your protocol.
What is the difference between STOP and STOP-Bang?
STOP is the first four questions only. Chung's 2008 paper reported sensitivities of 65.6%, 74.3% and 79.5% for AHI cutoffs above 5, 15 and 30. Adding BMI, age, neck circumference and gender raised these to 83.6%, 92.9% and 100%.
Does this tool say what to do with the result?
No. It scores the questionnaire and shows the published risk class. It does not recommend testing, treatment, anesthesia or sedation choices, or whether a procedure should proceed. Those decisions belong to the treating team under your protocol.
Sources and scope
- Chung F, Yegneswaran B, Liao P, et al. STOP questionnaire: a tool to screen patients for obstructive sleep apnea. Anesthesiology 2008;108:812-21
Development and validation in surgical patients; STOP items and the effect of adding BMI, age, neck circumference and gender.
- Chung F, Abdullah HR, Liao P. STOP-Bang questionnaire: a practical approach to screen for obstructive sleep apnea. Chest 2016;149:631-8
Scoring, risk classes (0 to 2 low, 5 to 8 high, midrange criteria), sensitivities and probabilities by score.
- Chung F, Yang Y, Brown R, Liao P. Alternative scoring models of STOP-Bang questionnaire improve specificity to detect undiagnosed obstructive sleep apnea. J Clin Sleep Med 2014;10:951-8
STOP score of 2 or more plus male gender, BMI above 35, or neck circumference above 40 cm.
- Chung F, Subramanyam R, Liao P, et al. High STOP-Bang score indicates a high probability of obstructive sleep apnoea. Br J Anaesth 2012;108:768-75
Odds ratios and predicted probabilities by score in 746 surgical patients.
Decision support only; it does not replace clinical judgment. STOP-Bang is a screening questionnaire. It does not diagnose sleep apnea, and this tool does not recommend testing, treatment, anesthesia or sedation choices.