How to Test for Sleep Apnea: Home vs Lab Sleep Studies

If you're snoring loudly, or feeling groggy no matter how many hours of sleep you get, your body could be trying to send you an important message. These symptoms might be signs of sleep apnea, a condition that affects how you breathe while you sleep.

The good news? It's treatable—and the treatment starts with the right diagnosis.

In this blog post, we’ll discuss your main sleep apnea diagnosis options: at-home and in-lab sleep studies.

What Sleep Apnea Looks and Feels Like

Sleep apnea can be sneaky. You may not even realize it’s happening because it occurs while you're asleep. But if you're often told you snore loudly, or you wake up gasping for air, that’s a sign something could be off. Other common symptoms include daytime fatigue, trouble concentrating, dry mouth in the morning, and headaches when you wake up.

If any of this sounds familiar, it’s worth talking to a doctor about common sleep apnea symptoms.

How Doctors Diagnose Sleep Apnea

The first step usually involves a conversation. Your doctor will ask about your sleep habits, overall health, and symptoms. You may be asked to fill out a short questionnaire that helps them assess your risk. If sleep apnea seems likely, they’ll recommend a sleep study to get a clearer picture of your sleeping habits and concerns.

There are two main kinds of sleep studies. One happens overnight at a sleep clinic. This is called a polysomnography, and it gives doctors a detailed look at what your body is doing during sleep. The other is a home sleep apnea test (HSAT), which you can do from your own bed. It’s less comprehensive but more convenient, especially if you have a high chance of moderate to severe sleep apnea. Additionally, most HSATs have been cleared for biocompatibility and electrical safety; but there are still concerns about the homogeneity and consistency of at-home sleep apnea test processes and results.

What a Sleep Study Measures

Sleep studies don’t just look at your breathing. They keep track of a range of body functions. In a full in-lab test, the following are monitored.

• Brain activity, through something called an EEG, helps doctors know when you're in different stages of sleep, including REM, when most dreaming happens.
• Muscle movements are tracked using an EMG. This shows if you’re grinding your teeth, twitching, or kicking during the night. It’s also useful for detecting when you’ve entered REM sleep.
• Eye movements are measured with an EOG. These subtle shifts help confirm your sleep stages, since your eyes move rapidly during REM sleep.
• Heart rate and rhythm are recorded using an EKG. This can reveal irregularities or strain on your heart while you sleep.
• Nasal airflow is tracked using a sensor placed under your nose. This shows how well you're breathing throughout the night.
• Snoring is monitored by a small microphone. Snoring patterns can tell a lot about airway obstruction and breathing disruptions.

All of this information gets pulled together to create a detailed sleep report. It helps your doctor figure out not just whether you have sleep apnea, but how severe it is.

Choosing Between a Sleep Study and an At-Home Test

Once your doctor suspects sleep apnea, the next step is choosing how to test for it. You might be offered an in-lab sleep study or an at-home sleep apnea test. Both have their advantages, but they serve slightly different purposes.

A sleep study at a clinic, a.k.a. polysomnography, is the most detailed option. You’ll sleep overnight in a monitored setting while a team records data about your breathing, brain activity, heart rhythm, muscle movements, and more. This kind of test is considered the gold standard, especially if you have other health conditions or if your symptoms are complex. It’s also the better choice if doctors suspect central sleep apnea, a less common type that isn’t caused by airway blockage.

In contrast, an at-home test is a simpler way to screen for obstructive sleep apnea. It usually involves wearing a few sensors that track your breathing, oxygen levels, and heart rate while you sleep in your own bed. These tests are less intrusive and more convenient. They’re often recommended for people who are at high risk for moderate to severe sleep apnea and don’t have additional health issues.

If you have significant symptoms like loud snoring, daytime sleepiness, or witnessed breathing pauses during sleep—and you don’t have other health conditions—an at-home test might be a good place to start. It’s also faster to schedule and can give enough information to begin treatment.

But if your symptoms are unusual, if your initial test is inconclusive, or if you have other medical concerns like heart problems, insomnia, or neurological symptoms, a full sleep study in a lab is often the better choice. Your doctor can help you weigh the pros and cons based on your individual needs.

The main advantage of lab tests over HSATs is its accuracy in determining the severity of sleep apnea symptoms, as shown in a meta-analysis led by Ghegan in 2006. On the other hand, the affordability of home sleep apnea tests may offset this sole disadvantage. After all, even recent studies of HSAT efficiency conclude that both tests provide similar diagnostic information, and home tests can serve as a precursor to detailed lab tests.

Interpreting Sleep Study Results

The main number doctors look at is called the AHI, which stands for Apnea-Hypopnea Index. It tells how many times your breathing slows down or stops per hour of sleep. If your AHI is under 5, you have nothing to worry about. Between 5 and 14 means mild sleep apnea. Between 15 and 29 is considered moderate. And anything over 30 is severe.

Diagnosis usually happens if your AHI is at least 5 and you have symptoms. But even if you don’t feel tired during the day, an AHI of 15 or more is enough for doctors to recommend treatment.

What’s New in Sleep Apnea Testing

Technology is making it easier than ever to catch sleep apnea early.

Some new tools can monitor your breathing without even touching your body. For example, radar-based devices and smartwatches with oxygen sensors are showing real promise. Artificial intelligence is also starting to play a role, helping doctors analyze sleep data faster and sometimes more accurately than traditional methods. Wearable AI for sleep apnea testing is on the rise. These devices show potential in identifying and classifying sleep apnea as well as in suggesting proactive interventions.

These tools aren’t a replacement for lab testing just yet, but they’re opening new doors for faster, easier screening.

What to Do If You Think You Might Have Sleep Apnea

If you're worried that something's wrong with your sleep, don’t wait. Start by monitoring your symptoms and talking to your doctor. They may refer you to a sleep specialist, who can help you get tested and figure out the best treatment plan.

You can take our online sleep apnea test today to get a headstart.

And remember, getting diagnosed doesn’t mean you’re stuck with a machine for life. There are lots of options—from lifestyle changes and custom oral devices to BiPAP and CPAP machines or surgery. The crucial point is to take the first step.

When your sleep improves, so does your entire day!

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