Home Sleep Testing

What is home sleep testing?

Home sleep testing is a way for your provider at Florida Sleep Solutions of Jax to gather information about your sleeping patterns and any symptoms you exhibit of a sleep disorder. You can opt to receive your home sleep test through the mail, or you can get it directly from your provider. 

The test itself is user-friendly and easy to use. A Registered Polysomnographic Technologist (RPSGT) at Florida Sleep Solutions of Jax gives you comprehensive instructions, so you know what to do while using the test at home. 

Home sleep testing is especially beneficial to you because you get to sleep comfortably in your own bed instead of in a lab or hospital. Your provider at Florida Sleep Solutions of Jax interprets the results of your home test and tells you whether or not you need to undergo further in-lab testing for your condition. 

Who should get home sleep testing?

Your Florida Sleep Solutions of Jax provider might recommend home sleep testing to you if the symptoms you describe are characteristic of obstructive sleep apnea. A home sleep test can help determine whether or not you have the condition, making it easier for your provider to find a treatment for you that works. Common symptoms of obstructive sleep apnea are:

• Pauses in your breathing while you sleep
• Gasping for air while you sleep
• Loud snoring
• Daytime sleepiness and fatigue
• High blood pressure
• Morning headaches
• Dry mouth in the morning
• Irritability or depression

Obstructive sleep apnea happens when the tissues in your airway close or constrict your airway when you sleep. It causes difficulty breathing and can restrict the amount of oxygen in your blood, leading to severe health complications. 

Several conditions could make a home sleep test ineffective or impossible. Your provider will offer alternatives if they decide home sleep testing isn’t your best option. 

How does home sleep testing work?

For home sleep testing, you’ll get some testing equipment. The equipment includes an effort belt, a nasal pressure sensor, and a pulse oximetry test. You must fasten the belt around your chest and make sure it fits tightly. Then, you should connect a thin tube called a cannula, included in your kit, to the sensor on your belt and around your ears so you can breathe into the part that goes into your nostrils. Additionally, you should place the pulse oximeter on your finger. 

Your provider answers your questions before your test, so you know exactly how to use it and troubleshoot if there’s a problem. The in-office RPSGT scores and validates the results, and a board-certified sleep specialist reviews the data to either form a diagnosis or recommend further testing. 

To find out if home sleep testing is the right diagnostic tool for your sleep apnea, call Florida Sleep Solutions of Jax, or book an appointment online today.