Is an at-home sleep study right for me?

If you are constantly tired even after a full night sleep, wake with a headache or dry mouth, or maybe you’ve been told you snort or gasp at night only to start breathing again, you may have obstructive sleep apnea.  

What is obstructive sleep apnea?

When you sleep, your muscles relax, including those in your throat that help you breathe. If you have a narrowed airway, the relaxation of the throat muscles may interrupt your breathing.   

Why should I treat my sleep apnea?

Beyond feeling tired, obstructive sleep apnea can cause serious health problems, including hypertension, poor control of diabetes, cardiac problems as well as simply being more prone to accidents or having a decreased quality of life.

The good news is that there is treatment.

The first step is to identify whether you have sleep apnea or another disorder.

At-home sleep apnea testing

An at-home sleep apnea test is an easy way to figure out whether you’re having trouble breathing while you’re sleeping due to obstructive sleep apnea. If you have disrupted sleep or are sleepy during the day, and have experienced weight gain or obesity (sometimes a major factor in sleep apnea)  – an at-home sleep apnea test may be an option.

“For those who may not otherwise get a sleep study, this is an option to at least get some clarity around what they’re experiencing,” said David Sholes, RPSGT, REEGT., manager of the TMC Sleep Center.

Don’t rule out sleep apnea because you’re not overweight. “The worst case I’ve ever seen was a 90-pound grandmother. She had a narrow airway and when she relaxed, it collapsed. She had severe symptoms,” said Sholes. “Talk with your primary care provider to identify whether an at-home or sleep clinic study is best for you.”

Note: An at-home sleep study has limitations and does not record all parameters the an in-lab sleep study does in greater detail.

What should I expect with an at home sleep apnea study?

Once your primary care provider has placed an order for an at-home sleep study, you will receive a call to schedule your appointment.

On the day of the appointment you will arrive at the outpatient desk on the south west side of the hospital. They will sign you in and direct you to the neurophysiology lab. Once you arrive at the neurophysiology lab, you will be asked to fill out a survey including some of your medical history, sleep history and prescriptions. Once the survey is complete a sleep lab technologist will take some more information, do an assessment, including measuring your neck (another factor that affects sleep apnea). The sleep lab technologist will explain the equipment you will take home with you and make sure you understand how to fit it and get the best results.

That evening prior to going to bed, you will put the strap around your chest with a sensor that measures how much effort each breath takes, a pulse ox monitor on your finger to measure the oxygen saturation in the blood and a small nasal cannula in your nose that will measure airflow. The following day you will return the equipment to the neurophysiology lab. Easy peasy! It isn’t uncomfortable or invasive.

How long will it be before I get the results?

Your provider can expect to receive the analyzed report in approximately two weeks and you can get the result from them.  You should also be able to request your results through Mychart and view them on mychart.tmcaz.com at that time.

“People don’t have to live with poor sleep – and in fact, shouldn’t – to protect their health,” Sholes said. “The first step is to find out the severity of what they are experiencing and what classification of sleep disordered breathing they are presenting with so we can suggest what kind of treatment options exist to help.”

For more information, please visit the website or call (520) 324-3318