Sleep apnea is defined as a series of involuntary breathing pauses or “apneic episodes” throughout a single night of sleep. There are usually at least five events every hour. When someone experiences 30 or more occurrences each hour, they are said to have severe sleep apnea. Between apnea episodes, these occurrences are nearly invariably characterized by snoring (although not everyone who snores has sleep apnea).
Feelings of choking are another symptom of sleep apnea. Disruptions of normal, quality sleep frequently results in early morning headaches, slowed thinking and poor focus, and excessive daytime lethargy.
During an apneic episode, the person is unable to breathe in oxygen and exhale carbon dioxide, resulting in low oxygen levels and elevated carbon dioxide levels in the blood.
The decrease in oxygen and increase in carbon dioxide signals the brain to restart breathing, resulting in awakening. With each awakening, the brain sends a signal to the upper airway muscles to open the airway and breathing is restarted, frequently with a loud snort or gasp.
Recurring arousals, while necessary to restart breathing, keep someone from getting sufficient restorative, restful sleep.
Testing for sleep apnea at home is one of the ways that can be used in the diagnosis of sleep apnea. Home sleep study equipment is gaining more popularity as the technologies continue to evolve in accuracy. They are also designed to be simple and with just enough equipment to allow the user as much comfort as possible.
Types of Home Sleep Apnea Test Devices
Sleep tests are classified based on the amount and type of information they collect. Type 1 and 2 tests gather additional information. A type 1 sleep test, for example, is an in-lab polysomnography done by a technician. Type 3 or 4 are used for testing for sleep apnea at home and capture less data than type 1 or 2 testing.
Whether the medical professional requests a type 3 or type 4 study will determine the number of sleep study devices utilized in your home sleep apnea test. The following are examples of sleep apnea testing devices that patients typically use at home:
Tests Based on WatchPat Technology
The WatchPAT is a watch-like gadget with a monitor put on a finger that is worn around the wrist. The finger monitor detects a delay in breathing by measuring peripheral arterial tonometry (PAT), which offers information about blood flow. Currently, WatchPAT devices are disposable. Previously, WatchPAT gadgets had to be returned to the sleep center for the data to be retrieved and analyzed.
Home Sleep Apnea Testing Kits
Breathing Sensor
Nasal cannulas, also known as nasal prongs, are tubes that are inserted into the nostrils and looped around the backs of the ears. They detect the air pressure during inhalation and exhalation to study breathing patterns. An oronasal thermistor, or a temperature sensor placed between the nose and the mouth, is at times used instead to evaluate airflow. For persons who do not breathe via their nose while sleeping, a thermistor may be required.
Microphone
The nasal breathing sensor, generally, evaluates snoring. Snoring is sometimes measured using an actual microphone. A sound sensor worn around the neck may capture both sound and pressure.
Data Gathering Device
Typically, all of the sensors are connected to the data collection device by wires or elastic tubes. This device may have buttons that users press to start and stop data collecting, as well as status LEDs that indicate the device is switched on and recording.
Effort Belt
To monitor motions linked with breathing, a belt can be worn across the chest or belly. This device’s data can assist in distinguishing between obstructive sleep apnea, in which the individual is actively trying to breathe, and central sleep apnea, in which the brain does not deliver the signal to inhale and exhale, resulting in no movement. The box containing the data obtained from all sensors is frequently secured by the effort belt.
Pulse Oximeter
A pulse oximeter is a device that measures the amount of oxygen in the blood and is commonly worn on the fingertip. Sometimes, an earlobe, rather than a finger, is also used to connect a pulse oximeter.
The Apnea Risk Evaluation System (ARES)
It is a practical and efficient sleep study device that doctors may use to give an customized diagnosis to their patients. It can measure anything from snoring volume to sleep quality and even how the patient was sleeping (on their side versus back, etc.) and send the results to any computer via USB.
This is a home sleep apnea testing system that monitors many of the same measurements but saves the data to a device worn on the forehead and goes around the head. It also evaluates head position and motion.
Conclusion
A study found that for people at high risk of sleep apnea, a home sleep study device is just as beneficial as a hospital-based examination.
Although the PSG (polysomnography) is the gold standard for diagnosing sleep apnea, it has been extensively proven over the last decade that home portable monitoring is a viable option.
Furthermore, experts have advised that portable monitoring be restricted to those who are at high risk of moderate to severe sleep apnea. People who undergo testing for sleep apnea at home should be informed that these tests are not always capable of detecting sleep vs waking patterns.
When analyzed by a qualified physician, home sleep study equipment only monitors breathing and collects additional data that can assist in identifying sleep-disordered breathing.
