Home test vs. home

Is there any value to getting a test in a sleep clinic compared to home? Have had home, but it only gives diagnosis and can't track side sleeping, etc.

Thanks,
MoonBear

Sleep clinic study can find things (for an example restless legs) that a home study can't find.

MoonBear wrote:Is there any value to getting a test in a sleep clinic compared to home? Have had home, but it only gives diagnosis and can't track side sleeping, etc.

Thanks,
MoonBear

Assuming the home test showed you have obstructive sleep apnea, the best thing to do is get a data-capable CPAP machine with software and self-titrate. In a sleep lab they will not have time to titrate you for both side and back sleeping in one night so they will only titrate you for back sleeping - and they may get this wrong because you will not sleep in the lab like you do in your own bed at home.

With the right CPAP machine and software, you can titrate yourself for side and back sleeping over several nights.

If you are worried about restless leg syndrome, get educated and diagnose yourself.

In a sleep lab they will not have time to titrate you for both side and back sleeping in one night so they will only titrate you for back sleeping

This really depends on the sleep lab. In both my baseline and titration sleep studies, there were no restrictions on how I was to sleep. It's true they wanted me on my back for about 5 or 10 minutes to get the initial readings to confirm all the hardware was working the way they wanted. Then over the intercom, the tech said, "You can get comfortable however you like know and start trying to get to sleep in your usual sleeping position."

Hi moonbear....

if I had it to do over again, I would have somehow made sure I could have slept thru most of the study in the lab,
and made sure I was recorded on both sides and my stomach, not just my back..

Oh how I wish I would have done that..

If you dont have to pay for a lab study and you can find a good hospital to do it, I sure would try that so you can see if you have
positional apnea, and everything else a lab can do for you.. just make sure its a very good lab first... then go for it..

and take your favorite jammies and pillow..

robysue wrote:

In a sleep lab they will not have time to titrate you for both side and back sleeping in one night so they will only titrate you for back sleeping

This really depends on the sleep lab. In both my baseline and titration sleep studies, there were no restrictions on how I was to sleep. It's true they wanted me on my back for about 5 or 10 minutes to get the initial readings to confirm all the hardware was working the way they wanted. Then over the intercom, the tech said, "You can get comfortable however you like know and start trying to get to sleep in your usual sleeping position."

Having no restriction on which position you sleep in is something quite different than titrating for both side and back sleeping.

In my home titrations, I restricted myself first to back sleeping and found an optimal pressure. Then I restricted myself to side sleeping and found an optimal pressure. This took several nights. (The side pressure was much lower than the back pressure).

I have never heard of a sleep lab doing this, much less doing it in one night - there is just not enough time.

I have spent seven months of hell not knowing I only needed only 4cm of pressure if I slept on my side or stomach..
because they never tested me on my side or stomach..
only tested me on my back, only titrated me on my back.. not a very clear picture to be sure..

If I did not have an auto, I would never have found this out, and been stuck at a pressure I cant handle for God only knows how long..

what a disaster it can be if you dont know you have positional apnea!

MoonBear wrote:Is there any value to getting a test in a sleep clinic compared to home? Have had home, but it only gives diagnosis and can't track side sleeping, etc.

Thanks,
MoonBear

I only had a home sleep test. I also had a home titration with a special apap and O2 monitor and some other gadgets. Since it measures what you need when you sleep in your normal position it is the pressure you really want. If you insist on getting a data capable machine you can check yourself how the presure is working for you over several days at the time.
In both tests I slept at least 8 hours. Most people report sleeping only a couple of hours in the fancy sleep labs. I would only go for the sleep lab if my use of cpap was not effective. Then I would want to know what else might be the problem.

In my home titrations, I restricted myself first to back sleeping and found an optimal pressure. Then I restricted myself to side sleeping and found an optimal pressure. This took several nights. (The side pressure was much lower than the back pressure).

Some of us cannot force ourselves to stay in one position while asleep. Had the told me I had to stay on my back or my stomach or even on only side for x amount of time, I would not have slept at all. The point of my titration was to find a pressure that would work for me in the position(s) that I most commonly slept in. Hence the instructions to make myself comfortable and sleep as normally as possible.

I absolutely cannot go to sleep with a technician watching me and a million electrodes taped to my body. I probably wouldn't have been a good astronaut. I did a home test and then titrated myself. If your events go way down and you sleep better that's all that matters.

robysue wrote:

In my home titrations, I restricted myself first to back sleeping and found an optimal pressure. Then I restricted myself to side sleeping and found an optimal pressure. This took several nights. (The side pressure was much lower than the back pressure).

Some of us cannot force ourselves to stay in one position while asleep. Had the told me I had to stay on my back or my stomach or even on only side for x amount of time, I would not have slept at all. The point of my titration was to find a pressure that would work for me in the position(s) that I most commonly slept in. Hence the instructions to make myself comfortable and sleep as normally as possible.

Exactly. That is what sleep labs do. But if your positional sleep apnea is severe and you have a wide range of pressure requirements depending on sleeping position, you will not find out what those pressure requirements are from a sleep lab. But with a data-capable machine and software you can find the optimal pressure for different sleeping positions in your own bed!