Is Home Sleep Testing for You?

If you, your doctor or a sleep specialist at United Sleep Medicine suspects you have sleep apnea, an overnight sleep study in one of our homelike sleep lab rooms is the best way to confirm the diagnosis.

But if a disability, health condition, transportation, dependents, or your job makes a night in our comfortable sleep lab inconvenient, one of our sleep doctors might prescribe home sleep test.

Although many home tests are available, none of them have the technology to record all the vital signs that a complete in-lab sleep study would—eye and limb movement that might be associated with a neurological disorder, for example. There is increasing evidence, however, that suggests home sleep tests can be effective in diagnosing obstructive sleep apnea.

Health information that can be collected during a home sleep test may include:

• Airflow

• Breathing effort

• Blood oxygen

• Snoring sounds

• Head and neck movement

• Breathing effort

Is a Home Sleep Test for You?

Home tests aren't for everyone. It’s important to have a full exam with a board-certified sleep specialist at United Sleep Medicine to determine whether a home sleep test is for you.

 The AASM approves the use of home tests only if you meet the following criteria:

• You must be between 18 and 65 years of age. Home sleep tests are not recommended for children or older adults.
• You have a high risk of moderate-to-severe sleep apnea. Your risk for sleep apnea can only be determined by a complete sleep evaluation. Key risk factors include loud and frequent snoring, daytime sleepiness, obesity, and witnessed pauses in breathing during sleep.
• You have no other major medical problems. Other medical problems can affect the results of a home sleep test, including lung disease, neuromuscular disease, and congestive heart failure.
• You have no other sleep disorders. Other sleep disorders also can affect the results of a home sleep test.

We may recommend that you come to one of our sleep centers for an overnight study if you do not meet the criteria listed above.

What Happens When Am Prescribed a Home Sleep Study?

During your in-office evaluation and before prescribing a home sleep test, one of our sleep physicians will determine if you show signs of having another sleep disorder such as central sleep apnea, periodic limb movements, insomnia, parasomnias, circadian rhythm sleep disorders, or narcolepsy.

If a home sleep test is determined appropriate, you will be given or prescribed the device during your visit to United Sleep Medicine and instructed how to put it on by a sleep technologist.

You will then return or mail the device back to us the following day. 

The study is scored and interpreted by one of our sleep specialists. You will be scheduled for a follow-up visit with one of our sleep specialists who reviews the results of the study with you and discusses your treatment options.