Obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) causes repeated narrowing or closure of the upper airway during sleep. Typical clues include loud habitual snoring, witnessed pauses in breathing, gasping or choking during sleep, unrefreshing sleep and excessive daytime sleepiness.
Who may benefit from assessment?
- People with loud habitual snoring plus witnessed apnoeas, gasping or choking.
- People with significant unexplained daytime sleepiness or unrefreshing sleep.
- Patients with hypertension or other clinical features that increase suspicion of OSA.
- Patients in whom a clinician considers sleep-disordered breathing a reasonable explanation for symptoms.
What does a home sleep test measure?
Depending on the device, home respiratory testing can record airflow, breathing effort, oxygen saturation, pulse and body position. It is not identical to full laboratory polysomnography, which also measures sleep stages and additional physiological signals.
When a laboratory sleep study may be more appropriate
AASM guidance favours polysomnography rather than routine home testing in patients with significant cardiorespiratory disease, suspected hypoventilation, respiratory muscle weakness, chronic opioid use, previous stroke or severe insomnia. Clinical judgement remains essential.
Understanding the result
The result is interpreted together with symptoms and medical history. If a single home study is negative, inconclusive or technically inadequate despite significant suspicion of OSA, further sleep evaluation or polysomnography may be appropriate.