Home Sleep Testing

If fatigue makes it hard to get through the day or housemates complain about your loud snoring, you may need home sleep testing to determine if you have obstructive sleep apnea.  Pulmonary & Sleep Medicine Group, LLC, Andrew R. Freedman, MD, and staff, offer home sleep testing to diagnose sleep apnea, determine its severity, and make treatment decisions. Call the office in Monroe, New Jersey, or Evanston, Wyoming, or use online booking today to request a telemedicine appointment.

What is home sleep testing?

Home sleep testing provides the information needed to diagnose obstructive sleep apnea (OSA).  A home sleep study kit will be sent to you. When finished, you return the kit to the office or if you are sent a disposable kit, it is thrown throw away when the test is completed.

You may need polysomnography if your symptoms suggest another sleep disorder, such as central sleep apnea, narcolepsy, or nocturnal seizures.

Polysomnography is a supervised sleep study done in a sleep laboratory where they can record additional information, including brain wave and heart activity, and eye and leg movements.

What happens during home sleep testing?

Your doctor will discuss things that can affect your test and produce unreliable results so you can avoid them. For example, you should avoid drinking alcohol because it affects breathing while you sleep.

The test kit includes several pieces that you wear throughout the night:

Finger clip

The clip goes over your finger, where a sensor picks up oxygen levels in your blood.

Nasal cannula

This is a lightweight tube with two prongs that go into each nostril. This piece measures airflow.

Chest belt

The belt goes around your chest, detecting movement caused by breathing. In some kits, the belt may hold the portable monitor.

Portable monitor

This device records the information obtained from your finger clip, chest belt, and nasal cannula. Some devices send the data wirelessly to the office; others are downloaded in the office after you return the device.

What happens after home sleep testing?

Your doctor at Pulmonary & Sleep Medicine Group, LLC, may ask you to wear the devices for one or several nights. After receiving all the information, it is reviewed and a telemedicine appointment is scheduled to discuss the results.

The information obtained during your home sleep test shows whether you have sleep apnea. The changes in oxygen levels and the number of times you stop breathing determine the severity of the problem.

Fewer than five apnea episodes an hour is typical. Otherwise, you may have:

• Mild sleep apnea – 5-15 episodes per hour
• Moderate sleep apnea – 15-30 episodes per hour
• Severe sleep apnea – 30 and over

Recommended treatment is based on the severity. In most cases, moderate to severe sleep apnea is treated with continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP).

To learn more about home sleep testing, call Pulmonary & Sleep Medicine Group, LLC, or request a telemedicine appointment online today.