Over a couple of years, sleep treatments have grown in popularity. Sleep disorders are becoming more common, and sleep centers are springing up in clinics and major hospital settings to fulfill the rising demand for sleep medicine.
The diagnosis and treatment of sleep apnea are guided by fact-based recommendations in sleep medicine. However, there are insufficient sleep centers and caregivers in this area. There have been numerous advancements in the recording of sleep and the diagnosis of sleep disorders. Many sleep disorders are so chronic that they make it necessary to undergo constant treatment and evaluation. It is critical to use cost-effective technology for initial diagnostic and therapy monitoring, and sleep apnea home monitoring devices are a reasonable option.
Sleep apnea is a common condition that many people experience, and anyone can go through it. For people who fear they may have sleep apnea, a home sleep study is a good alternative to aid in diagnosis.
What Exactly is Sleep Apnea?
Sleep apnea is a condition in which a blocked airway causes someone to stop breathing periodically while sleeping. There are many possible explanations for this problem; however, therapies are generally constant and highly successful regardless of the cause.
Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) can be diagnosed with an at-home sleep apnea test. Home sleep apnea testing, as the name implies, is performed in the privacy of a patient’s own home. The majority of sleep apnea home monitoring devices are small enough to fit in the palm of a hand. To correctly complete the test, you can use a variety of devices. A sleep specialist helps get the equipment that a patient needs.
Why Do a Home Sleep Test?
There are a number of benefits to doing home sleep tests. Consultation with a sleep technician determines whether a sleep apnea monitor at home is the best solution. As it can be conducted at home, home sleep testing is notably the most favorable diagnosis option. Sleep apnea testing done at home saves time and effort.
Additionally, there is a lot more equipment involved in lab tests. At-home sleep apnea tests are more cost-effective and reasonable because there is less equipment required and no requirement for a sleep technician. It involves the use of simple devices that aren’t too invasive to your body.
Home sleep studies, however, do not collect as much information as those conducted in a lab. They are mostly only for obstructive sleep apnea. When the doctor finds that the data collected is not enough, they may recommend another study done in the lab.
Data Collected by Home Sleep Study
Several factors are assessed during a home sleep apnea test or a home sleep test to determine if one has obstructive sleep apnea. The aspects that are measured, as well as the sleep apnea diagnostic devices that assist in data collection, are listed below.
- Airflow in the nose and mouth: This is used to record your airflow throughout the night. A small wire is placed in the nose and mouth. Some sensors resemble that of an oxygen cannula.
- Measurements on the breathing effort are captured using elastic belt straps put over the chest and belly.
- Levels of oxygen are collected by an oximeter finger probe. This is a clip-like sensor attached to the finger that produces a red light to help measure oxygen concentration in the blood while asleep.
Home Sleep Study Procedure
When one understands what the at-home sleep apnea test comprises and how it operates, it’s a fairly simple process. While each home sleep test service has its own set of guidelines, there is a common approach that one should follow.
- Consult a doctor to determine if a study is appropriate for you. It is also good to find out from the doctor the best sleep apnea diagnostic devices to use. There is a lot of information online, and not all of it is correct. If it is, your doctor will instruct you to do an at-home sleep apnea test.
- The equipment is usually brought to the patient’s home or picked up from the doctor’s office. It is then put to use once it has been received.
- The study should be done for about three nights to collect sufficient data for the sleep technician to evaluate.
- The devices are then returned for assessment.
- The sleep technician retrieves and analyzes the sleep data before generating a report. The conclusions drawn from the report are what the doctor uses to make recommendations and a treatment protocol.
Physiological Sensors
Modern sleep home monitoring devices consist of wireless physiological recorders that collect about three nights of data. One of these devices gives the amount of oxygen in the blood.
Pulse rate, ventilation, snoring severity, head posture, and head movement are all factors that can now be accurately recorded using a sleep apnea monitor at home. This provides a detailed depiction of a patient’s breathing patterns while sleeping at home, regardless of the patient’s sleeping position.
Some gadgets also have audible and visual signals that inform the user of whether any adjustments are needed. They are non-invasive and user-friendly.
Current technology can also track peripheral arterial tone and activity, as well as the concentration of oxygen in the blood. Obstructive sleep apnea can now be detected just as well as using lab study equipment.
Conclusion
Home sleep studies will become more popular with technological advancement. With the increased accuracy of diagnosis, coupled with other reasons such as comfort, patients prefer home sleep monitoring. In addition, most patients prefer the privacy that can be offered by home sleep apnea diagnostic devices. It stands to reason that this is what a lot of patients will go for in the future.
