Smartphone apps for snoring.
OBJECTIVE
To identify and systematically evaluate user-friendly smartphone snoring apps.


METHODS
The Apple iTunes app store was searched for snoring apps that allow recording and playback. Snoring apps were downloaded, evaluated and rated independently by four authors. Two patients underwent polysomnography, and the data were compared with simultaneous snoring app recordings, and one patient used the snoring app at home.


RESULTS
Of 126 snoring apps, 13 met the inclusion and exclusion criteria. The most critical app feature was the ability to graphically display the snoring events. The Quit Snoring app received the highest overall rating. When this app's recordings were compared with in-laboratory polysomnography data, app snoring sensitivities ranged from 64 to 96 per cent, and snoring positive predictive values ranged from 93 to 96 per cent. A chronic snorer used the app nightly for one month and tracked medical interventions. Snoring decreased from 200 to 10 snores per hour, and bed partner snoring complaint scores decreased from 9 to 2 (on a 0-10 scale).


CONCLUSIONS
Select smartphone apps are user-friendly for recording and playing back snoring sounds. Preliminary comparison of more than 1500 individual snores demonstrates the potential clinical utility of such apps; however, further validation testing is recommended.
Division of Otolaryngology,Sleep Surgery and Sleep Medicine,Tripler Army Medical Center,Honolulu,Hawaii,USA.
M
M
Camacho
Department of Psychiatry,Sleep Medicine Division,Stanford Hospital and Clinics,Redwood City,California,USA.
M
M
Robertson
Department of Otorhinolaryngology,Hospital Bernardino Rivadavia,Buenos Aires,Argentina.
J
J
Abdullatif
Department of Otorhinolaryngology/Sleep Medicine Centre,Hospital CUF Porto - Center for Research in Health Technologies and Information Systems ('CINTESIS'),University of Porto,Portugal.
V
V
Certal
Department of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery,University of California,San Francisco,USA.
Y A
YA
Kram
Department of Psychiatry,Sleep Medicine Division,Stanford Hospital and Clinics,Redwood City,California,USA.
C M
CM
Ruoff
Department of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery,Walter Reed National Military Medical Center,Bethesda,Maryland,USA.
S E
SE
Brietzke
Department of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery,Sleep Surgery Division,Stanford Hospital and Clinics,Stanford,California,USA.
R
R
Capasso
D006801:Humans; D063731:Mobile Applications; D017286:Polysomnography; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D000068997:Smartphone; D012913:Snoring / Q000175:diagnosis*
Mobile Apps; Respiratory Sounds; Smartphone; Snoring; Treatment