Sleep Disordered Breathing is a rarely-diagnosed spectrum of disorders caused by respiratory airflow resistance resulting from allergies/nasal obstruction and/or physically narrow airways due to insufficient jaw development, and less frequently other disorders(septum deviation, adenoid, tonsil, turbinate hypertrophy are usually consequences of insufficient space to develop properly or inflammation)
This causes increased respiratory effort during sleep(and frequently, partial or even full airway collapse) when airway muscles are relaxed, leading to abnormal Autonomous Nervous System modulation which results in destabilization of sleep processes, severely impaired rest quality, and dysregulation of numerous physical and mental functions.
Contrary to popular belief, Obstructive Sleep Apnea is not a standalone syndrome, but rather results from years or decades of damage caused by abnormal sleep, and primary symptoms in most people are psychological and somatic in nature.
This questionnaire is designed to catch as many cases as possible, not have as few questions as possible, and as few as 4-6 "yes" answers are a strong indicator of sleep disordered breathing.
Breathing and airway anatomy:
- 1. Do you need or have the urge to mouth breathe during light physical activity or at rest?
- 2. Do you experience allergies, or noticeable nasal congestion?
- 3. Are your lips open if you relax your face muscles?
- 4. Have you ever needed orthodontics, tooth extractions, or have crooked teeth?
- 5. Do you have misaligned jaws, e.g. misaligned bite, a crooked nose, a receded chin?
Sleep symptoms:
- 6. Is it common for you to be unable to sleep more than 7h, or need more than 9h of sleep?
- 7. Do you toss and turn, talk, snore, gasp, breathe loudly or through your mouth(dry/unpleasant morning breath) during sleep?
- 8. Do you ever wake up groggy, nervous, tired, or gasping for air?
- 9. Do you have difficulty falling asleep? E.g. feeling uncomfortable in your current position, or like you get a jolt of nerves/adrenaline/intrusive thoughts that prevents you from falling asleep?
- 10. Do you ever have nightmares, wake up during the night unable to go back to sleep, or need to use the toilet at night?
Daytime symptoms:
- 11. During the day, do you experience any sleepiness, drowsiness, fatigue, or extremely low motivation?
- 12. Do you have chronic mental health issues that do not get better with time or treatment?
- 13. Do you have a tendency to avoid doing things and struggle to motivate yourself to get things done?
- 14. Do you have ADHD, poor memory, struggle to focus, organize your time, or feel like your cognition has gotten worse with age?
- 15. Do you experience depersonalization/derealization or a sense of background stress that never goes away?
Somatic symptoms:
- 16. Do you experience acid reflux, GERD, or persistent need to clear your throat?
- 17. Do you have issues with slouching and feel uncomfortable when straight?
- 18. Do you ever get dizzy suddenly standing up, or experience cold hands or feet at room temperature?
- 19. Do you experience persistent bruxism, jaw, or head pains?
- 20. Do you have issues with digestion, food sensitivities, or getting lethargic after bigger meals?
Other:
- 21. Do you need caffeine, nicotine, or any drugs in order to stay awake or fall asleep?
- 22. As a child, have you experienced excessive sleepiness, nightmares, bedwetting, or asthma?
- 23. Are you overweight or have any connective tissue disorders?
- 24. Have you ever had problems with your adenoids, tonsils, or sinuses?
- 25. Is there a family history of issues like these?