First, an important distinction

Screening isn't diagnosis

A screening — like the questionnaire and facial scan on this site — identifies risk factors associated with obstructive sleep apnea. It cannot tell you whether you have it, and it cannot tell you how mild or severe it might be.

Only a sleep study can do both. During a sleep study, a small device records your breathing, oxygen levels and sleep position overnight. The result is a number called the AHI — the Apnea-Hypopnea Index: how many times per hour, on average, your breathing partially or fully stops.

After a sleep study

How AHI describes severity

Sleep specialists use the AHI to describe how often breathing is interrupted each hour. The bands below are the standard way results are described after a sleep study — never from a screening.

No OSA
AHI Less than 5
Fewer than 5 breathing interruptions per hour on average.
Mild OSA
AHI 5 – 14.9
Between 5 and 15 breathing interruptions per hour on average.
Moderate OSA
AHI 15 – 29.9
Between 15 and 30 breathing interruptions per hour on average.
Severe OSA
AHI 30 or more
30 or more breathing interruptions per hour on average.

A screening score (like STOP-Bang) is not an AHI. There is no way to know your AHI — or whether your sleep apnea is mild, moderate, or severe — without a sleep study.

Know the signs

Common symptoms of sleep apnea

Many people with obstructive sleep apnea don't remember waking up — the interruptions are brief. The clearest signals often show up during the day, or are noticed by a partner.

Loud, frequent snoring

Snoring loud enough to be heard through a door or wall, especially if it happens most nights.

Gasping or choking during sleep

Waking suddenly with a jolt, a snort, or the feeling that you can't breathe.

Excessive daytime sleepiness

Dozing off during the day — in meetings, while reading, or worse, behind the wheel — even after a full night in bed.

Waking up exhausted

Sleeping 7–8 hours but still feeling drained, foggy, or unrested in the morning.

Trouble focusing or remembering

Difficulty concentrating at work, slipping memory, or irritability that didn't used to be there.

Morning headaches or dry mouth

Waking with a headache or a very dry mouth and throat — common signs of disrupted nighttime breathing.

Having one or more of these doesn't mean you have sleep apnea. Many other conditions can cause the same feelings — which is exactly why testing, not guessing, is the next step.

When to reach out

When to see a sleep specialist

Consider talking with a clinician or sleep specialist if any of these apply to you:

You snore loudly and someone has noticed pauses in your breathing during sleep
You're excessively sleepy during the day — especially if it affects driving, work or safety
You wake gasping or choking, more than once in a while
You have high blood pressure, heart problems, or type 2 diabetes along with sleep problems
You sleep a full night but still wake unrefreshed, most days, for weeks
Your screening result places you in the Intermediate or High Risk category

If you regularly fall asleep while driving, or someone sees you stop breathing for long stretches, contact a clinician promptly rather than waiting for a screening or study.

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Where this information comes from

Sources last reviewed 2026-10-06. This page is educational and is not medical advice.

Understand what's happening while you sleep

Screening isn't diagnosis

How AHI describes severity

Common symptoms of sleep apnea

When to see a sleep specialist

Where this information comes from