Does An At-Home Sleep Apnea Test Work?
If you suspect that you may have sleep apnea and want to try a do-it-yourself test to see if it’s worth exploring further, here are a few steps to take. A simple but thorough at-home sleep apnea test will help you determine whether or not professional medical assistance is necessary for diagnosing and treating your condition.
#1 Find An App Or Kit That Tests For Sleep Apnea From Home:
You can order a kit from your doctor, or find an app through Google. Kit: Nasal pressure data is stored and transmitted to a computer for visualizing sleep quality.
The app: You will need to place the phone on your chest while you sleep. The phone monitors heart rate and rhythm, oxygen saturation (SpO2), plus movement. You can then send this data to your doctor or sleep clinic via Bluetooth connections, or you can use the app yourself to monitor your heart rate overnight.
#2 Sleep In A Quiet Room:
If you have never had sleep apnea, the first step is to go to a quiet room (preferably your bedroom or living room) and try not to move while falling asleep. Since sleep apnea causes breathing pauses during nighttime sleep, you want to make sure that you do not move around too much.
#3 Use A Pillow:
Sleep specialists recommend that people with sleep apnea use a special pillow designed for people with snoring and other respiratory problems. A pillow that supports your neck and head correctly may be all you need to achieve restful sleep. Such pillows also make a good addition to other sleep apnea treatments, such as CPAP machines. A good pillow can also help you if you find yourself restless during the night.
#4 Keep In Mind Your Medications:
If you are taking a drug or medication, it is possible that it is contributing to your sleep apnea.
Does An At-Home Sleep Apnea Test Work?
It Does Not Entirely Exclude Apnea.
After your sleep technician examines your sleep data after your home sleep apnea test, those data will be sent to your sleep physician. If those symptoms still do not go away, then your sleep physician will prescribe you go for an in-lab experiment.
At-home sleep apnea tests can prove to be wrong in some instances, for example, your sensors might not be able to work properly in the middle of the night, however, in polysomnography, a doctor is always present to monitor you.
Other Sleep Problems Could Exist For You.
As breathing issues cannot seem to be a sign of every type of sleep disorder, so you may not be suffering from sleep apnea, even if those symptoms keep on existing. The movement disorders lead to narcolepsy and nocturnal restlessness, a neurological illness that restrains your body’s sleep-wake cycling while leading to excessive sleepiness which does not impact your airways. Together, you and your doctor can determine the cause.
