Do I have sleep apnea?

Patients who suffer from Sleep Apnoea or other forms of Sleep Disorders often do this during sleep:

  • Stop breathing repeatedly at night, which frightens their bed partners and causes interrupted sleep for both parties
  • Partially wake up many times through the night
  • Feel like they are choking
  • May gasp for air suddenly during sleep, which briefly helps with snoring
  • Snore and snort noisily during sleep, disturbing (and annoying!) their bed partners
  • May need to sleep propped up on extra pillows because lying flat to sleep makes breathing difficult
  • Display frequent, restless leg movements during sleep
  • Frequent nightmares
  • Frequent bed wetting

Patients with Sleep Apnoea or other forms of Sleep Disorders are sleep-deprived and suffer during the day from:

  • Excessive daytime tiredness and sleepiness
  • Morning headaches, giddiness, grogginess
  • Feel irritable during work or school and get frustrated easily
  • Often feel ‘in a daze’ during the day
  • Reduce concentration and memory
  • Mood swings


In addition, children who suffer from sleep apnoea are sleep deprived and, when they do sleep, have poor quality sleep. Because of sleep deprivation and constant tiredness, they cannot maximize their potential in school and social settings. They often present with:

  • Behavioral problems
  • Difficulty concentrating in class
  • Inhibited creativity
  • May struggle with their grades

Patients with the following physical features are at greater risk of obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA):

  • Obesity (body mass index: >30 kg/m2)
  • Enlarged neck circumference (men: >43 cm [17 in]; women: >37 cm [15 in])
  • Short lower jaw
  • Short chin
  • Double chin
  • Front teeth that protrude or stick out
  • High palatal arch (roof of the mouth)
  • Narrow dental arches
  • Enlarged, ‘kissing’ tonsils
  • Hypertension

How to test for Sleep apnea:

There are a few Epworth Sleepiness Scale and a sleep study are ways to test and quantify sleep apnea.

Epworth Sleepiness Scale

The Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS) is a self-administered, simple questionnaire that assesses the severity of ‘daytime sleepiness’ of a person who maybe suffering from sleep deprivation. It was first developed by Dr Murray Johns in 1990 and was named after the Epworth Hospital in Melbourne. The higher the score indicates a worse ‘daytime sleepiness’. Take the Epworth Sleepiness Test to find out!

An ESS score of:
6-9 = Mild Excessive Daytime Sleepiness

10-15 = Excessive daytime sleepiness, should seek medical attention

16 and above = VERY excessively sleepy – MUST seek medical attention

Sleep study

Sleep studies are the gold standard in diagnosing, recording, and quantifying the severity of sleep apnoea. As you sleep, many parameters are recorded during the sleep study. Hospital-based sleep studies are done under the supervision of a sleep technician and is costly. A home-based sleep study is done under the guidance of a sleep medicine dentist like Dr Elaine Ng, in the comfort of your bedroom, bringing the cost down significantly.

Familiar surroundings, the absence of being watched and hooked up to less machinery is a more natural setting to study your sleep patterns. 

Are you worried that you or your bed partner may have sleep apnoea? Make an appointment with our Sleep Medicine Dentist, Dr Elaine Ng as soon as possible. Dr Elaine Ng offers comprehensive sleep screening, which includes clinical assessment, chairside diagnostics, and a home-based sleep apnoea test.

Related topics

What is Sleep Apnoea

What is Sleep Apnoea

Sleep Apnoea or Obstructive Sleep Apnoea, is part of a range of sleep-disorder that affects breathing. Sleep apnoea occurs when air flow through the upper airway reduces during sleep. This leads to a reduction in oxygen entering the bloodstream and patients start to suffocate. The brain goes into ‘panic mode and sends strong emergency signals to the heart, lungs, and muscles to wake the person up gasping for air.

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