A home-based sleep study might be recommended to you if you've noticed any of the following symptoms or conditions:
- Others have noticed that you stop breathing or choke in your sleep.
- You often feel tired or sleepy during the day.
- You snore loudly on a regular basis.
- You have high blood pressure.
- You have diabetes.
- Your Body Mass Index (BMI) is over 35.
- You have other factors that put you at risk for heart disease.
A home-based sleep study is a non-invasive test designed to monitor your breathing, heart rate, and body movements while you sleep right in the comfort of your own home. This test helps doctors to diagnose sleep disorders such as sleep apnea, restless leg syndrome, or insomnia.
Having the study done at home makes it easier for you to follow your usual routines and sleep patterns. The goal is to collect accurate data about your sleep to better understand and treat any issues you may have.
What can I expect during the test?
The test takes about 15-30 minutes to set up. Here's what you can expect:
- The monitor, which will track your breathing and heart rate, will be fitted around your chest, over your clothes.
- Electrodes will be attached on your face, neck, chest, and dominant leg to measure muscle activity.
- Clear plastic tubing will be connected to your nose to monitor your breathing.
- An oximeter clip will be placed on your finger. This will measure the levels of oxygen in your blood while you sleep.
- Once everything is set up, you'll be free to go home and sleep with the monitor on.
- In the morning, you'll be asked to fill out a questionnaire about your sleep.
- After you've completed the questionnaire, you'll carefully remove the monitor and return everything in the provided bag to the clinic.
What are the risks of the test?
While the home-based sleep study is generally safe and straightforward, you may experience some discomfort sleeping with the monitor on. Also, the preparation of your skin for electrode attachment might cause slight redness or irritation. These side effects are temporary and should resolve shortly after the test.
(This test will take up to 30 minutes)
To ensure the home-based sleep study goes smoothly, here are a few tips to prepare:
- Avoid using any cream, moisturiser, or make-up on the day of the test.
- Dress in loose, comfortable clothes for sleeping when coming to the appointment.
- Remove any nail polish from your fingers.
- Take a shower at home before arriving at the clinic.
- Using public transport is not recommended.
- There is a $50 administrative fee for the test. Additionally, please bring a $50 security deposit. This helps cover any late returns or damages to the monitor. Don't worry, we'll refund the security deposit when the monitor is returned to the clinic on time and in good condition.
Also Note: Patients are not permitted to bring visitors into the appointment room. This includes family, children, guardians, friends and/or carers. Language interpreters are permitted to accompany the patient to the appointment room.
You'll need to visit the clinic on the night of your study. We'll fit you with the Home-Based Sleep Study unit or provide detailed instructions on how to set it up before bedtime. The sleep study unit, which you'll wear overnight, will monitor your breathing, brain activity, heart rate, and body movements using several easy-to-apply sensors.
After the Appointment
Please remember to return the monitoring device to the office you picked it up from by 9:30 am the next day.
Please note: If the sleep study device comes off or disassembles, you can refer to this video tutorial on how to properly reattach it below:
