Anyone done a $250 internet sleep study

I had the traditional sleep study which was expensive and took 3 1/2 months till I got a machine. First meeting with the doc was as useful as talking with the janitor. Didn't see him again till 6 months later. No literature was given out, everything I had to learn on my own. They even fitted me with the wrong size mask. I was desperately trying to get out of town to help my mother who was just out of the hospital. Schedules flat out lied about everything as I was trying to plan a schedule.

I now tell everyone if they have possible issues to get a sleep study, but get one off the internet for $250. That and a used machine will be less than the insurance copay. For the vast majority it seems that CPAP is as "mediciney" as taking aspirin. It couldn't be worse than the sleep study I got which was "do it yourself". It is certainly better than ignoring the problem. Machines now provide enough information so you can adjust it yourself. The bio-metrics that these mail in boxes look at are the same as my sleep study. The only issue I see is in selecting the mask. I probably wouldn't have found dreamwear, but they discouraged me from using that.

I would just like to know the experience of people that took one of these $250 studies.

My first response is you get what you pay for;
but, reflecting on the quality of lab sleep studies, that is also a crapshoot.
Good luck; and I'm sure someone in this merry band of outlaws has "been there".

Is this serious... or a troll? Either way, CPAP has certainly changed my life. And my sleep studies were done by professionals.

Unfortunately, some insurers subscribe to take-home sleep studies,
which may not be able to diagnose any apnea other than obstructive apnea.
Central or mixed apneas, though rare, would possibly be missed by these studies.
Are you OK with the risks? How about liability?

chunkyfrog wrote:My first response is you get what you pay for;
but, reflecting on the quality of lab sleep studies, that is also a crapshoot.
Good luck; and I'm sure someone in this merry band of outlaws has "been there".

Yes, I have done 2 sleep studied in the past 15 years.
The 1st one was done overnight at sleep study center, the insurance paid more than $1000.
They monitored your sleep all night, and let you try different cpap machines.

The 2nd one was self-study at home using a small portable machine, the insurance only paid $300.
The machine was not reliable, and no much overnight result was useful.

Personally I prefer surgery solution, and hope it can fix my problem completely,
But doctors always recommend using cpap machine which I don't like at all.

My Insurance Cigna would only approve a Home sleep Study test.
They arranged for Watermark Medical & sleepMed to mail me the ARES home sleep testing system.
http://www.sleepmedinc.com/at-home
I was able to keep it for several days and collect data over three nights. they wanted 8 hours of data but i could only use it for 3-4 hours a night.
It was pretty simple to use and gave them the data they needed to put me on Apap.
They Billed Cigna $350 for the test and I had to pay 20% or $70
Different machines and systems are being used for home sleep tests.

Here is a home sleep testing program run by jason who also has a Sleep Apnea Forum and home sleep testing business.
http://axgsleepdiagnostics.com/
He has some good information about the different type of home sleep tests and what information they collect. He also has YouTube videos showing how the connect and work.

It's in your best interest to educate yourself on the different tests available and what they can and can't do.

My first study was very professional. My only glitch was that the tech said I had poor sleep hygiene. I was so humiliated that I went and took a shower even though I had a shower before I left home. My second study was awful and very unprofessional. My doctor was also a cpaper so I was excited but she used a fixed pressure machine and said that she never thought anyone needed an auto or bipap and that was why I had the second study in the first place. My PCP thought I needed a bipap. It was a bad experience and a waste of time and money.

I did this at home test. http://www.snapdiagnostics.com
Took the kit home from my PCP office. Did it 3 nights. and got the diagnosis of OSA. with a prescribed setting of pressure of 5. I bet they give everyone the same setting. Luckily I found this forum and my pressure is now 10, after adjusting it myself.
What I did is the same as an internet study, except I picked up the equipment in person.

While home testing can save insurance companies and people money, sometimes more is needed. They can not detect complex or central apnea, nor other possible problems like periodic limb movements, or determine level and amount of sleep. The machine doesn't know when/if you are asleep. The guy in the sleep lab DOES know when/if you are asleep because he can see your brainwave activity. Also, the in-lab sleep study can make it much easier to determine which pressure to start therapy at.

But for simple, obstructive sleep apnea, the home study might be enough.

yaconsult wrote:While home testing can save insurance companies and people money, sometimes more is needed. They can not detect complex or central apnea, nor other possible problems like periodic limb movements, or determine level and amount of sleep. The machine doesn't know when/if you are asleep. The guy in the sleep lab DOES know when/if you are asleep because he can see your brainwave activity. Also, the in-lab sleep study can make it much easier to determine which pressure to start therapy at.

But for simple, obstructive sleep apnea, the home study might be enough.

Totally agree, sadly My experience is the Insurance company "Cigna" would only approve the in home sleep study after rejecting the other options. When that was positive they also rejected the other options and would only approve Apap rental for 3 months.
They seem to drag their feet as long as possible and maybe after a year plus you might get the actual treatment you need or not.
I have been very disappointed and unhappy with Cigna and Carecentrix approach to sleep apnea treatment.
Hope other insurance companies treat their patients and customers better.

I am very sad, my current insurance don't want to pay any cost for sleep study or cpap machine.

yaconsult wrote:They can not detect complex or central apnea, nor other possible problems like periodic limb movements, or determine level and amount of sleep. The machine doesn't know when/if you are asleep.

that depends on the home test, some record more data than others.

no sleep test can determine complex sleep apnea, since that doesn't emerge until you're under pressure.

yaconsult wrote: Also, the in-lab sleep study can make it much easier to determine which pressure to start therapy at.

only the titration study gives that information.

I have been looking at this one.
Watch the videos. The type 2 costs more than your $250, but extremely detailed. They require 16 electrodes to be placed.
http://axgsleepdiagnostics.com/why-axg/

Wonder when someone will come up with a system to allow an RPSGT to monitor you remotely and make adjustments to pressure remotely? That would be ideal. A titration study in your own home.

southerndoc wrote:Wonder when someone will come up with a system to allow an RPSGT to monitor you remotely and make adjustments to pressure remotely? That would be ideal. A titration study in your own home.

Well we already have APAPs that can be remotely adjusted, all you would need is a computer notebook supplying the video. Maybe you should start the business,