The Home Sleep Study

Identifying and diagnosing obstructive sleep apnea is the initial step in getting treatment. While many doctors refer their patients that they suspect have sleep apnea to a sleep study in a sleep lab for an overnight sleep test by a qualified sleep technologist, this is not always convenient. For some, the cost may be prohibitive, some patients don't live within commuting distance of a sleep lab and some are simply concerned with the idea of sleeping in a strange place and being observed while sleeping. Fortunately, there is a good, highly accurate and cost effective alternative to a sleep study in a lab. Home sleep studies are becoming more and more popular and available. At Aviisha, we are using the Stardust from Respironics for conducting home sleep studies with patients. The unit itself is composed of 4 main parts and easy to use: the control box, a nasal canula, a respiratory belt, and a finger probe. The control box, which is as small as an iPod, records all of the information that is gathered during the study. It is worn in the center of the chest with the three other components connected. The nasal canula is worn in the nose, to monitor breathing, and hooks around the ears to hold it in place. The respiratory belt is worn around your chest to monitor breathing. The finger probe is placed on the index finger of your non-dominant hand. The finger probe measures oxygen saturation and de-saturation. You can wear the unit while sleeping, or even while reading or watching TV before falling asleep. After only 6 hours the unit will have recorded enough information on your sleep and non-sleep time so we know what to do to help you sleep better at night. You’ll need a prescription from a referring physician. Dr. Avi at Aviisha is happy to provide you with a prescription, but he’ll need to meet with you for an evaluation. He can even meet with you via webcam over the Internet! Diagnosis for your sleep problem will only take one evening, and Aviisha makes the process as easy as possible.