The Home Sleep Test is a portable sleep test that is typically recorded on the equipment you take to your home. Home Sleep Tests have become increasingly popular with patients, physicians, and insurance companies over the last decade.
The home sleep study should be performed one or multiple nights and keep many records of the same physiological channels as an in-lab study, such as the heart rate, oxygen saturation, sleep stages, respiratory effort, airflow, body position, snoring, body movement, sleep states, and actigraphy. The home sleep test determines the severity of the sleep apnea and provides a comprehensive report for a physician to review easily.
Most Home Sleep Tests monitor at least three of the following parameters:
- Airflow – This is measured by a cannula-like equipment that sits underneath your nose.
- Oxygen Levels – A small probe sits on your nondominant pointing finger and measures oxygen levels in your body.
- Respiratory Effort – It is achieved by placing at a minimum one effort belt around the chest and that senses the rise and fall of your chest to correlate effort with or without airflow.
- Body Position – The Home Sleep Test equipment can determine what position you are sleeping in as some of the individuals only have significant Obstructive Sleep Apnea in certain body position.
Benefits of Home Sleep Tests:
- Convenience is one of the most compelling reasons for a patient to choose a Home Sleep Test.
- Not only is a home sleep study convenient and but also more accurate for a patient.
- it is also cost-effective. Home sleep testing has a cost savings of over 75% compared to a sleep lab.
- You will sleep more comfortable in your own bed and at home, so the test is likely to produce more data and provide a better profile of your breathing.
- The home sleep test produces very accurate results and it has a quick turnaround, enabling your doctor to make or rule out a diagnosis of sleep apnea.
Although a home sleep study is right for many patients, it may not be appropriate for all the patients and a lab study may be recommended instead.
Hence, home sleep test is very useful and more convenient, patients who find it difficult to move from one place to another can take advantage of this and have tests at home more conveniently. You can buy the home sleep test equipment in the diagnostic labs or the hospitals or from its dealers and suppliers.
