How To Do A Sleep Apnea Test At Home

What is a Sleep Study?

A lot of activities take place in your brain and body while you are asleep. A Sleep Study is a test that tracks the activities, sleeping pattern and data about your sleep. It’s also known as polysomnography. With the help of this study, your doctor can treat multiple disorders.

During the test a machine called EEG records and monitors the activities of the brain to see what disturbances and patterns a patient is going through during the sleep to diagnose sleep disorders. Though it is usually done in a special lab but can be conducted with the help of the experts at home.

The recording that is done during the sleep may include measurement of brain wave activity, electrical activity of the heart, the electrical currents of the brain, number of eye movements and their frequency or speed, number and intensity of limb movements, number and depth of respirations, measurement of muscle movement, percentage of oxygen in the blood, amount of acid secreted from the stomach during sleep, the time it takes to fall asleep, period of time a person stays asleep, and the ratio of the total time asleep to the total time in bed.

When the sleep study is performed?

A Sleep Study is generally performed when your sleep patterns are disrupted. Non-rapid eye movement (NREM) is the first sleep stage. In this stage, the brain waves slow down and the movement of the eyes is not back and forth.

After the first stage comes REM called rapid eye movement in which the brain activity picks up again. REM sleep is unique phase of sleep and its start in the first 90 minutes of falling asleep or within dreams. The sleep process can be disturbed by the sleep disorder.

If the doctor suspects the below-given conditions then he recommends a Sleep study Test.

• Sleep apnea or sleep-related breathing disorder- In this condition, your breathing gets disturbs as it repeatedly stops and starts during sleep.
• Restless legs syndrome- In this disorder, the patient flexes and extends his legs while sleeping. This condition is also called periodic limb movement disorder.
• Narcolepsy- You experience extreme tendency to fall asleep when comfortable, daytime drowsiness and sudden attacks of sleep in this condition.
• REM sleep behavior disorder- In this sleep disorder, you act out your dreams as you sleep.
• Acute Insomnia- If you have trouble in falling asleep, during asleep, or waking up too early in the morning.
• Excessive snoring- If you snore a lot during your sleep then this test is for you.

How to prepare yourself for the sleep study

One should keep in mind certain things before the commencement of the sleep study test.

1. Avoid intake of alcohol
2. Avoid taking naps
3. Do not take anything that has caffeine after lunch
4. Share with the doctor all the medications and supplements you take
5. Don't put on lotions, gels, colognes or makeup

How to take a sleep apnea test at home

Sleep apnea test at home is done if one is suffering from Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) in which the breathing pattern of the patient gets disturbed on and off because of the narrowing of the airway get combines with the relaxation of throat muscles. This disruption of breathing can be for ten seconds or more. It is not only about noisy sleep and disturbed sleep but the consequences can be worse than that. There is an increased risk of stroke, heart attack or other severe medical conditions.

Sleep apnea test at home is the most convenient and comfortable means of evaluation which requires a simple set up at home. It is recommended to take sleep apnea tests at home as sometimes it becomes difficult for a person to sleep when he is away from his comfortable surroundings. This test can only give accurate results when the person is going through a natural sleeping procedure.

A home test is a simplified test that tracks your breathing parameters, oxygen levels, and breathing effort while sleeping and not the sleep itself. This is done in the presence of a sleep technologist. He captures more signals that include brainwaves, muscle tone, and leg movements during sleep.

While going to sleep at your regular bedtime you need to attach the sensors in the machine to your body. You may be asked to press a button on the machine when you get into bed. You can remove the sensors when you wake up in the morning. It’s a simple procedure with no hassle.

It is a complete no-no for people suffering from heart, breathing, or neuromuscular problems. Apart from that if there is an increased risk of obstructive sleep apnea or another sleep disorder. In these cases, an overnight sleep study at a sleep center is recommended.

Pros of the Sleep Test at Home

1. They are very comfortable:

With the comfort of your surroundings, in your bed and pillow, it is more likely to have more accurate results. On the contrary sleeping in an unfamiliar bed with all the pieces of equipment does not appeal to anyone and can bring you to the condition of no sleep at all.

2. They cost less:

If the test can be done in the comfort of the home and that too within the budget then who wants to go to a lab for it. It is a cost-effective means when compared to going for tests in labs it includes the cost of room and other things as well.

The main disadvantage of Sleep Apnea is, it could change or damage your lifestyle completely.

I am Sushma Sain, a health consultant in RespiKart India. We sell medical equipment and also provide on rent for ICU setup at home.