Rest Easy Once More: What to Know About At-Home Sleep Apnea Tests

Every night, millions of people across the world miss out on countless hours of rest due to sleep apnea. What’s worse is that this condition doesn’t just rob you of your precious sleep; it can also have serious health ramifications if left unaddressed. Treatment starts with a proper diagnosis, and one way of going about this is by taking an at-home sleep apnea test. But don’t worry, this isn’t the type of test you have to study for beforehand. Here’s a closer look at sleep apnea and how these tests can play an integral role in receiving proper treatment.

Understanding Sleep Apnea

Sleep apnea is a common yet serious disorder that’s characterized by repeated interruptions in breathing during sleep. These interruptions, known as apneas, can last anywhere from a few seconds to a few minutes, and they may occur hundreds of times throughout the night.

Needless to say, this leads to serious loss of sleep! But what’s worse is that untreated sleep apnea can lead to numerous health problems, including hypertension, heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and daytime fatigue, among other issues.

The most common type of sleep apnea is obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), which refers to when the soft muscles and tissues within the throat collapse and block the airway, thus limiting the amount of oxygen that’s breathed in. OSA has been linked to numerous factors, including age, weight, gender, and even certain lifestyle habits like drinking and smoking.

At-Home Sleep Apnea Tests

Traditionally, diagnosis for sleep apnea involved an overnight stay in a sleep lab, and while this is still done, there’s now a much easier manner to go about this: an at-home sleep apnea test.

A home sleep apnea test is a portable breathing monitor that you’ll be instructed to wear overnight. It’s normally not very cumbersome or disruptive. It’s designed to help diagnose OSA; as you sleep, the device monitors oxygen levels to detect and measure any pauses in breathing. This test can determine an accurate OSA severity score by calculating the average number of lapses in breathing per hour.

Other common metrics that are measured include chest motion, heart rate and blood oxygen levels, snoring events and intensity, actigraphy (which refers to nocturnal motor activity), and sleep position. This data is quite useful; a qualified sleep specialist can interpret the results and determine the best avenue of treatment.

Sleep Apnea Treatment

After you’ve finished taking your at-home sleep test, you can work with your sleep doctor to receive appropriate treatment. One of the most common solutions for OSA is a CPAP machine, but many patients also end up benefiting greatly from oral appliance therapy. These devices ensure the airway is kept open throughout the night, allowing for uninterrupted deep sleep.

Just keep in mind that at-home sleep apnea tests, as convenient and reliable as they may be, don’t actually treat sleep apnea—they merely detect it. You’ll want to follow up with your trusted sleep doctor to ensure that those results are thoroughly evaluated and that you’re put back on track to getting great sleep each night.

Your sleep is important; far too important to let it slip away from you due to sleep apnea! If you’re interested in taking an at-home test to see if sleep apnea’s the reason for your lack of shuteye, talk with your doctor or trusted sleep dentist to get the ball rolling.

About the Author

Dr. Robert Dernick received his DDS from the University of Texas Dental Branch at Houston and has spent the last several years providing patients and families in The Woodlands with a wide range of life-changing services, including sleep apnea treatment and testing. If you have any questions about the blog or you’d like to set up an appointment for yourself or loved one, please visit his website or give his practice a call today for further assistance or information.