A new and exciting trend in sleep testing is quickly gaining traction around the country: home sleep testing. Reimbursement for the home sleep test has only recently been approved, and more and more accredited sleep centers around the country are providing access to home sleep tests, as well as most major hospitals.
The home sleep test provides an excellent opportunity for sleep professionals to gauge a patient’s sleep tests needs from the comfort of their own home. It’s an excellent alternative to conducting a sleep test in a lab, a practice that many patients often find intimidating. It’s surprisingly simple, too.
First, the patient is given a brief questionnaire to determine if they’re at risk for a sleep disorder. If the patient’s results suggest they may have a sleep disorder, they’ll be given a lightweight and unobtrusive home sleep test device to take home and use overnight. This device records respiration, including both breathing and sleeping. The next morning, the patient returns the device to the sleep center, where experts download data from the unit’s memory card and prepare the results for the patient. If it’s determined that the patient does, in fact, suffer from a sleep disorder, more testing will be arranged.
Some common signs of sleep disorders include:
- Snoring
- Insomnia
- Brief periods of not breathing and/or choking or gasping during sleep
- Waking during sleep and restless sleep
- Excessive daytime sleepiness and falling asleep at inappropriate times
- Personality changes/disorders
- Depression
- Loss of concentration
- Morning headaches
If you believe you’re suffering from a sleep disorder, you should seek medical help from a physician or sleep expert immediately. There’s no need to fear a sleep test, especially with the new home sleep test option.
