Home Sleep Apnea Testing

Sleep apnea, when you frequently stop breathing during sleep, can occur for many reasons. Now it’s becoming easier and cheaper to get a home sleep apnea test. 

People often think of people with sleep apnea as obese middle-aged men who snore and fall asleep during meetings. But you can have sleep apnea even if you're not obese — or male.

Among women, the problem is often underdiagnosed because their symptoms are less obvious. Sleep apnea, when you frequently stop breathing during sleep, can occur for many reasons, and you won’t know it But it’s becoming easier and cheaper to get a useful home sleep apnea test. 

YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE: Do You Snore? Don’t Ignore that Rattling Sound!

To diagnose your problem and decide how to treat you, a doctor needs data on what happens to your breathing. People get tested during a sleep study. If the test reveals a problem, you’ll be asked to wear a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machine that injects air into your lungs while you sleep. 

The test and equipment are expensive. To save money, insurers may require you to go to an out of the way sleep center for testing and supply you with a particular machine. 

Some insurers ask doctors to make a decision based on less information provided from tests you can do at home. For people without insurance or a high deductible, getting a test at home will be far cheaper.

A quality home sleep apnea test should tell doctors what they need to know. In one study, all of the patients had a sleep study performed in a laboratory and were randomly assigned to three groups.

In the first group, the patients' doctors received all of the information from the lab, comparable to a sleep center. In group two, doctors received only the kind of data typically monitored during home tests. In the third, they received even less information, mimicking the simplest type of at-home study. The researchers collected information on the diagnoses the physicians made and tested how well the patients felt after four months of treatment.

It turned out that the diagnoses and treatment recommendations were similar across the three groups, and symptoms improved in all participants. There was no difference between the outcome based on data from a full lab study or higher quality home sleep apnea testing. The study did not draw a conclusion about whether the simplest tests were as effective.  

You should work with a doctor to know which method of testing is best for you. You can buy equipment online to test yourself at home from a variety of vendors, who also may sell CPAPs that your insurance may cover.

Don’t underestimate the effect of poor sleep quality. If you do have sleep apnea, treatment could help relieve a range of problems, including chronic pain, anxiety, and being inattentive.

You also don’t necessarily need a CPAP machine with a full mask. Many people use only a nose mask. Other solutions can do as well as a CPAP, but first you need a diagnosis.  

YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE: Our Sleep Care section