Sleep COVID

Resources

Sleep apnea, explained in plain language.

Screening tools, warning signs and testing guidance drawn from Sleep COVID by Gregory Arneaud, a Certified Respiratory Therapist and Clinical Director at ISD Health Solutions.

1. Screen yourself with STOP-BANG

STOP-BANG is a widely used eight-question screen for obstructive sleep apnea. Answer yes or no to each question. The more yes answers, the higher your risk, and three or more is a good reason to talk to a professional about testing.

  1. SSnoringDo you snore loudly, loud enough to be heard through a closed door?
  2. TTirednessDo you often feel tired, fatigued or sleepy during the day?
  3. OObservedHas anyone seen you stop breathing, choke or gasp during sleep?
  4. PPressureDo you have, or are you being treated for, high blood pressure?
  5. BBMIIs your body mass index more than 35 kg/m²?
  6. AAgeAre you older than 50?
  7. NNeckIs your neck circumference greater than 16 inches (40 cm)?
  8. GGenderAre you male?
Take the interactive self-screen

2. Know the warning signs

Sleep apnea rarely announces itself. Often the person next to you notices first, and your dentist or eye doctor may spot clues before your doctor does.

At night

  • Loud, regular snoring
  • Pauses in breathing, choking or gasping
  • Waking at 3 a.m. and struggling to get back to sleep

During the day

  • Sleepiness that coffee does not fix
  • Brain fog and low drive
  • Nodding off at the wheel

In your health checks

  • Stubborn high blood pressure
  • Type 2 diabetes or a waistline that will not move
  • Worn teeth, jaw clicking, floppy eyelids or dry eyes

3. Get tested

A finger oxygen clip can look reassuring while the brain spends the night in emergency mode, so a proper sleep study is how sleep apnea is confirmed. Many people can start with a home sleep test, worn in their own bed for a night. Others need a lab study. Results are usually reported as an AHI score: the number of breathing pauses and shallow breaths per hour. Chapter 10, "Diagnosis Decoded", walks through the whole process and how to read your own results.

Free Home Sleep Test Screening

Buy Sleep COVID in any format and ISD Health Solutions will give you a free Home Sleep Test Screening. Proof of purchase required.

Request a home sleep test

4. Reading guide: the 14 chapters

Sleep COVID runs 258 pages across 14 chapters. Start with the chapter closest to your situation.

  1. 01What Sleep Apnea Actually IsThe condition, stripped of myth and jargon.
  2. 02It's Not On Your Finger. It's In Your Brain.Why oxygen readings miss the real story.
  3. 03The Body Under SiegeWhat repeated night-time oxygen drops cost you.
  4. 04The Exhausted WorldHow we normalised running on empty.
  5. 05The Heart Never Clocks OutBlood pressure, rhythm and the sleeping heart.
  6. 06Man DownTestosterone, energy, performance and the scoreboard nobody talks about.
  7. 07The Silent PartnersHypertension, diabetes and the breath that links them.
  8. 08Her Silent StruggleHormones and the disease doctors keep missing in women.
  9. 09Drowsy At The WheelThe road risk we still treat as a personal failing.
  10. 10Diagnosis DecodedHome sleep testing, lab studies and what results mean.
  11. 11Your Eyes Don't LieThe ocular signs of untreated sleep apnea.
  12. 12Your Dentist Knows Your Bedroom SecretsGrinding, jaws and airway clues.
  13. 13Dating With Sleep COVIDIntimacy, shame and the snoring double standard.
  14. 14A Creator's CodeBuilding a life that your sleep can actually sustain.
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This page is for education only and is not a diagnosis. Read the medical disclaimer.