By A sleep study aka Polysomnography is a diagnostic test done to diagnose sleep disorders, mainly Sleep breathing disorders. Traditionally this was primarily done in the hospital, where patients would go in to sleep in the sleep lab. Depending on the results, the test could be for one night or two. This is the concept well known by majority of the patients as well. It could end up being a bad experience for many. With the leads hooked up with stickers or glue and a person who already has a tough time sleeping, is now in bed with wires and bands attached to majority of their body. Most people become hesitant because of their past experience with a sleep study, or by word of mouth.
If a sleep disordered breathing, such as Obstructive Sleep Apnea, is the only suspicion your doctor has, then a home sleep study could be done instead. Depending on what home sleep device is used, the test is mostly comfortable with less bands and leads and is at the comfort of your own home. Majority of the home sleep studies are around 95% accurate when compared to an in lab polysomnography. The results are reviewed by physicians before making a report.
The benefits of a home sleep study are:
- It is done at the comfort of your bedroom, and your bedtime
- It is less expensive and saves cost for both the patient and the providers
- Less cumbersome for the patient, easy to administer and does not require being watched at night
- Getting scheduled could be faster than an in lab study
The home sleep device in the picture above is WatchPAT. As the name suggests, it is worn as a watch and is very comfortable to sleep with.
While a home sleep study could be used on almost every patient that has a suspicion of sleep apnea, your physician will ultimately decide which sleep study is best for you. In general, people that need more diagnosis apart from obstructive sleep apnea, may undergo an in lab sleep study. Also patients with severe COPD, on oxygen at home or severe congestive heart failure, may require an in lab sleep study. If you are generally healthy, discuss a home sleep study with your physician, if you have always been anxious about getting a sleep study, and are required to have one.