At-Home Or Overnight Sleep Apnea Test
If your doctor suspects you have sleep apnea, they may prescribe an at-home sleep apnea test or ask you to visit a lab or clinic for a full overnight sleep study. Both tests can detect obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), in which the airway collapses and prevents you from breathing. OSA can cause loud snoring, daytime sleepiness, and other health problems such as high blood pressure, heart failure, type 2 diabetes, and stroke.
At-home sleep testing is easier and more cost-effective than in-lab testing, and can give you an accurate diagnosis if your symptoms suggest that you have obstructive OSA. However, it’s important to follow the instructions carefully to ensure that you get a complete and accurate reading. In addition, the test can be affected by your sleeping habits, so try to stick to your normal routine on the night of your test. You should also avoid taking any laxatives or other medications that affect intestinal bowel movement, as they can interfere with the results of the test.
The at-home sleep apnea tests use sensors to monitor your breathing and oxygen levels while you are sleeping. The device attaches to your head, chest, and abdomen, and the sensors record a variety of metrics such as blood oxygen level, snoring, heart rate, body position, and arousal from sleep. The results are uploaded to a computer and sent to your physician for analysis.
Overnight sleep studies, also known as polysomnography or polysom, are more comprehensive and involve spending the night in a lab, clinic, or hospital to capture sleep data. These are attended by a sleep technologist and can detect many more indicators of sleep disorders than at-home testing kits, which can include brainwaves for sleep, eye movements, muscle activity, and leg and foot movements.
Depending on your medical history, your physician may refer you to an ear, nose, and throat specialist to rule out a blockage in the nose or mouth that could be causing snoring or obstructive sleep apnea. They may also refer you to a cardiologist or a doctor who specializes in the nervous system, called a neurologist, if they suggest that your apnea is caused by a neurological issue.
In severe cases, your physician may recommend a nasolaryngoscopy, which is an in-office procedure that allows the examiner to see the structure of your upper airway and throat while you are under sedation. This can help your doctor determine whether you have central sleep apnea, in which the brain does not signal your body to breathe. If your apnea is caused in this way, it can often be corrected with lifestyle changes. In rare instances, they might advise you to use a CPAP machine, which uses airway pressure to keep the airway open. A nasolaryngoscopy can be performed at home or at a hospital, and may take place under general anesthesia or local anesthesia.