In-Home Sleep Study: A Comprehensive Guide

What is a Sleep Study?

A sleep study, also known as polysomnography, is a non-invasive, overnight exam that helps doctors diagnose sleep disorders. This crucial diagnostic tool can identify a range of sleep disorders, including sleep apnea, insomnia, narcolepsy, restless legs syndrome, and REM sleep behavior disorder. During a sleep study, various body functions are monitored, such as brain waves, oxygen levels in the blood, heart rate, and breathing patterns. While traditionally performed in a sleep lab or sleep center, advancements in technology now allow for these studies to be conducted at home with a home sleep apnea test. This flexibility makes it easier for individuals to undergo testing in a comfortable and familiar environment.

The Benefits of In-Home Sleep Studies

How can you find out if you have sleep apnea? An in-home overnight sleep study provides all the information that a doctor will need to confirm the diagnosis in the comfort of your own bed. These studies are conducted during normal sleeping hours to ensure accurate data collection.

There are many benefits to an in-home sleep evaluation. It is more comfortable and convenient, less expensive and just as accurate for diagnosing sleep apnea as a test done in a sleep lab.

All About In-Home Sleep Tests

Like an in-lab sleep study, in-home evaluations record physiological information during one or multiple nights. The purpose is to provide your physician or sleep clinician with a full report of data measuring your actual sleep quality. In-home sleep evaluations are self-administered, yet they are a powerful diagnostic tool for sleep disorders, mainly sleep apnea.

An in-home sleep test aims to gather the following information overnight:

• Oxygen saturation
• Airflow
• Respiratory effort

What to Expect During an In-Home Sleep Test

Most referrals for sleep testing begin with a visit to your regular doctor. If sleep apnea is suspected, physical exam of your throat and airway, heart and lungs is usually recommended. Other possible sleep disorders may require a neurological exam.

In order to collect all the valuable physiological information needed, the in-home sleep evaluation will require an effort belt to be secured around your chest, a device to be positioned under your nose, and an oxygen monitor to be placed on your index finger. Our staff will demonstrate how each device works and how it should be used. It’s quite easy to do and it only takes a few minutes to get the equipment hooked up properly.

Once the equipment is set up, all you have to do is get into bed and go to sleep as you would on a normal night. You might imagine that it would be difficult to fall asleep with the different monitoring devices hooked up and attached to your body. However, most people are able to sleep long enough to provide the adequate amount of data to confirm a diagnosis of sleep apnea.

When you return the equipment to the sleep center, technicians will download the data collected. A sleep specialist will thoroughly review the sleep test data, your medical history and information provided by a physical exam, then schedule a consultation with you. Together, you and the clinician will review their findings and discuss any further testing that may be necessary or recommendations and treatment options. If sleep apnea is diagnosed, continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy may be recommended to help maintain open airway passages during sleep.

Advantages of In-Home Sleep Testing

Many people who suffer from undiagnosed sleep problems wonder if it would be better to have an in-lab sleep analysis or a home study. Here are some of the reasons why patients prefer to have a sleep specialist perform the assessment at their house.

Comfort & Convenience

For some, the idea of sleeping in a different bed and being monitored can be unsettling or scary. That is why performing a sleep test in their own bed is the natural choice. It’s less intrusive and you can keep to your regular bedtime routine in the privacy of your own home.

For anyone that is home-bound, such as the elderly or patients with a chronic condition or who require in-home care, this type of sleep test is ideal.

Plus, it’s convenient even for busy people; you can schedule the test for a time that works for you and take the equipment home when you’re ready. Then, with a few instructions, patients are able to hook up the necessary physiological monitors and go to bed as usual.

Cost & Insurance Coverage

In addition to being more convenient, an in-home sleep study is also more cost-effective. Usually, the fee is about ¼ of the cost of a test performed at a sleep center.

Insurance policies are generally more likely to cover in-home sleep testing. Check with your health insurance carrier to see if your situation meets the criteria for full or partial coverage. Most require a doctor’s referral, initial consultation with a sleep specialist, or the presence of symptoms related to a disorder such as sleep apnea. Symptoms that may be expressly required for insurance purposes include excessive sleepiness, loud snoring, nighttime gasping, choking, or observed sleep apnea.

Accuracy

In-home sleep studies are just as accurate as testing performed in a sleep center. The evaluation has a high rate of precision when diagnosing the existence and even the severity of sleep apnea and other sleep disorders.

Understanding Sleep Study Results

Interpreting sleep study results can be complex, but understanding them is essential for making informed decisions about your sleep health. The results typically include measurements of sleep stages, sleep duration, sleep quality, breathing patterns, heart rate, and brain waves. A polysomnography technologist initially evaluates the data, which is then reviewed by a sleep medicine specialist. These results can indicate the presence of a sleep disorder, such as sleep apnea, and provide guidance for treatment options. In some cases, the results may not be conclusive, prompting the sleep medicine specialist to recommend additional testing or a home sleep apnea test to gather more information.

When to Schedule a Sleep Test

Sleep apnea is a dangerous condition and, without proper treatment, it can be a major health risk. Additionally, sleep deprivation quality impacts all areas of your life, including work performance, memory, mood, your ability to concentrate and function regularly.

If someone has witnessed signs of sleep apnea – gasping, irregular breathing, jolting awake to take breaths or excessively loud snoring – you should ask your doctor to refer you to a sleep clinic as soon as possible.

A doctor cannot accurately diagnose sleep apnea, or other sleep disorders, based solely on your medical history and symptoms. A thorough overnight sleep study, either in home or in a lab, will help get the treatment needed to sleep soundly and alleviate the long-term impact of the disorder on your health.

Get more information on Clinical Sleep Analysis

Where Can I Get a Sleep Study Performed Near Me?

If someone you love concerned that your snoring might be a sign of sleep apnea or if you wake up feeling still sleepy and groggy, it’s time to do something about it. A good night’s sleep is not that far away. Contact Sleep Health Solutions of Ohio for an overnight sleep test today.