Everything You Need to Know About At-Home Sleep Tests

If you’ve been having a sneaking suspicion that you may have sleep apnea there’s a few avenues you’ve likely traveled. Whether you’ve spoken with your doctor or are still in the early stages of internet research, chances are you’ve already had to swallow the lump in your throat at the words, “sleep study.” Further, chances are you’ve been told you’ll need to spend the night in an unfamiliar medical facility or clinic, hooked up to a gajillion wires, while a nurse monitors your sleep. 

We’re here to break that stigma, keep you in your own bed, and ensure that you can get the accurate results you need, safely and affordably. Keep reading to learn about how far technology has come with at-home sleep testing and see if it’s the right path for you. 

What is an at-home sleep test?

An at-home sleep test (or at-home sleep study) is a much smaller device than you’ll find in a typical clinical study. However, don’t be fooled by its compact size! At-home sleep tests measure biologic parameters such as respiratory effort and blood oxygen levels in order to diagnose Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA). 

Are all at-home sleep tests the same?

While they all fall under the general umbrella of at-home sleep test (HST), not all tests are created equally. Depending on how long you’ve been in the research phase, you may have heard that following your home sleep test, you will be asked to thoroughly sanitize your device and then send it back. Sounds fun right?

But thanks to technological progress over the past few years, home sleep testing has made massive leaps in accessibility, ease of use, and simplicity. Here at cpapRX, we proudly choose to carry the WatchPAT ONE, which — get this — is the only disposable at-home sleep test available on the market today. That means no sanitizing, no sending it back to us, and no worries over breaking it either at home or in transport. You take the test, you toss the test. Easy peasy. 

What’s involved in an at-home sleep test?

Inside your WatchPAT ONE sleep study kit, you’ll find the device itself as well as simple instructions for the night you choose to take the test. You will be asked to download the WatchPAT ONE app so that all of your sleep data can travel through the cloud, straight to our clinic of Board Certified Sleep Specialists (magic!).

That night, you’ll have to turn off any other devices in your bedroom (sorry, no TV tonight), open the app, put your WatchPAT ONE on, which includes a pulse oximeter that goes over your finger to measure your blood oxygen levels throughout the night, as well as an adhesive device that sticks to your chest to measure such metrics as heart rate and respiratory effort. 

Then, you get to go to sleep in the comfort of your own bed. You’ll want to make sure it’s a night where you can get at least six hours of sleep, so don’t choose the night of your Red Eye flight. 

In the morning, you can take off your WatchPAT ONE and toss that baby right in the bin! You’re done! As soon as your study is completed, our clinical team will walk you through your Sleep Apnea screening, testing, treatment and of course prescription process.

Is at-home sleep testing accurate?

While you may encounter (or may already have encountered) an old school doc who insists upon sending you for the dreaded overnight sleep test in a foreign facility, rest assured that at-home sleep testing provides accurate results. 

The WatchPAT One at home sleep test is the most advanced test available and is used by thousands of people each week. This accurate, reliable and safe kit tests for sleep apnea using a variety of different data points, including PAT signal, heart rate, oximetry, actigraphy, body position, snoring and even chest motion. The best part is there is no nasal tube or additional body straps needed. And the whole kit and kaboodle is so compact you could fit in a ziploc bag, sandwich size. 

Is it expensive?

Thanks again to these big technological leaps, home sleep testing costs have dropped significantly over the years. We won’t tease you with a link either, we’re proud to say that for only $199, you can get accurate sleep testing results from your own home, no strings attached. Further, if you are indeed diagnosed with sleep apnea, we will cover the cost of your CPAP prescription with the purchase of a machine. We know that the struggle is real and we want to make sure your sleep journey is as painless, safe, and affordable as possible. 

And be sure to check out the reviews from our patients on the WatchPAT ONE to see just how easy the at-home sleep process is. 

If you have any questions about at-home sleep testing, the WatchPAT ONE, or PAP’s Pathway, our exclusive treatment journey, please don’t hesitate to call our highly trained clinical team at 833-216-CPAP, email us at sleeptight@cpaprx.com, or even live chat with us right by clicking the blue “contact us” box in lower left corner of this page or from any page on the website.