What is a False Negative?

I had a sleep test done in a lab this weekend. It was a split-study. The tech hooked me up and I fell asleep almost immediately at 10 PM. She told me to sleep on my back, which I did. She woke me up at 2 AM and told me that I had had no REM sleep and thus no apnea events. She told me the results of the test were called a "false negative." What does that mean and what will that mean for me and qualifying for a cpap? I know I have a sleeping disorder. I go to sleep, sleep 8 to 9 solid hours, and wake up with headaches, shortness of breath, and I feel like I've been in the ring with Mike Tyson for 10 rounds. I can't think, concentrate, and I'm going downhill fast. I fall asleep all throughout the day. The results won't be in for a week or so but I'm concerned that they will tell me I don't have any sleep apnea. Are there any other disorders they may find? Not achieving REM sleep seems bad.

Sounds like you already asked about this in this thread...

viewtopic/t105900/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=105852&p=1003726

If you haven't seen the sleep study results yet, it will be pretty hard to guess what is going on. You need to wait to get the answers you are asking..

Also, not all sleep issues are related to OSA.

+1
Agreed. That said, however, what she seems to be saying about the results of the night's test, in her opinion, is that she could see no "positive" indication that you have sleep apnea. Thus, she refuses (perhaps quite correctly) to accept the "negative" (no apnea) test results by calling them a "false negative." The latter term is commonly used to mean that there's probably a "positive" unhealthy condition lurking that for the time being has gone undetected. My guess from how you describe your symptoms is that it's only a matter of time before a clear positive result is documented that will be sufficient to get you insurance coverage for treatment. You may have to take another lab test sooner or later unless your doc can discern "positives" where his tech could not.

rockncountry101 wrote: She told me the results of the test were called a "false negative." What does that mean...

A false negative is when a test fails to show something that is actually there. Your tech may have seen evidence of sleep apnea but not enough evidence to meet the official criteria for starting titration that night. That's all it means for now. You've already been offered a free repeat sleep study. There's likely a good reason for that. See what your doctor says when that first report comes in.