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Sleep apnea is a common condition that causes you to stop breathing for short intervals while you sleep.
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All You Need To Know About Home Sleep Test And Polysomnography
Sleep apnea is a common condition that causes you to stop breathing for short intervals while you sleep. If left untreated, it can have significant health effects over the long term. If your doctor thinks you may have sleep apnea, you’ll likely undergo a nighttime sleep test that monitors your breathing. Let’s take a closer look at the test options that are available for diagnosing sleep apnea. How is sleep apnea diagnosed? To diagnose sleep apnea, your doctor will first ask you about your symptoms. Your doctor may ask you to complete one or more questionnaires to evaluate symptoms like daytime sleepiness as well as risk factors for the condition, such as high blood pressure, obesity, and age.
If your doctor suspects sleep apnea, they may recommend a sleep monitoring test. Also called a sleep study or polysomnography (PSG), it involves spending the night at a lab, clinic, or hospital. Your breathing and other vital signs will be monitored while you sleep. It’s also possible to monitor your sleep in your own home. Your doctor might suggest at-home sleep test monitoring if your symptoms and risk factors strongly suggest sleep apnea. An in-lab sleep study (polysomnography) In-lab sleep studies are used to diagnose sleep apnea, along with a wide range of other sleep disorders. Many sleep studies generally take place between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. If you’re a night owl or a morning lark, this time frame may not be optimal. An at-home test may be recommended instead.
You’ll stay in a private room designed to make you feel comfortable, much like a hotel room. Bring pajamas and anything else you usually need to sleep. Home sleep tests are noninvasive. You don’t need to give a blood sample. However, you’ll have a variety of wires attached to your body. This enables the sleep technician to monitor your breathing, brain activity, and other vital signs while you’re asleep. The more relaxed you are, the better the technician can monitor your sleep. Once you fall asleep, the technician will monitor the following: Your sleep cycle, as determined by your brain waves and eye movements • Your heart rate and blood pressure • Your breathing, including oxygen levels, breathing lapses and snoring • Your position and any limb movements
There are two formats for sleep studies: full night and split night. During a full-night sleep study, your sleep will be monitored for an entire night. If you receive a diagnosis of sleep apnea, you may need to return to the lab at a later date to set up a device to help you breathe. During a split-night study, the first half of the night is used to monitor your sleep. If sleep apnea is diagnosed, the second part of the night is used to set up the treatment device. In-lab sleep tests have advantages and disadvantages. Talk to your doctor about your test preference.
Pros Most accurate test available. An in-lab sleep test is considered the gold standard of diagnostic testing for sleep apnea. Cons Costlier than an at-home test. If you have insurance, your provider may cover some or all of the cost, but not all providers cover this test. Some providers require the results of an at-home test before you can take an in-lab test. These were some points about the at-home sleep testwhich you need to be aware of before having a sleep study.
