Should You Offer Multi-night Home Sleep Testing?
Newer technologies make studying patients for more than one night easier than ever. What are the pros and cons?
Sleep is complicated, and many reasons could account for irregularities in sleep patterns from one night to another. From alcohol to sleeping position, even seemingly minor changes in a person’s nighttime routine can significantly impact the results of polysomnography.
Recently, researchers found single-night sleep studies could miss moderate and mild obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) up to 60% and 84% of the time, respectively. Another recent study published in CHEST, which examined 10,340 adults, found that monitoring just one night’s worth of data resulted in notable misdiagnoses in OSA severity. The study’s population was administered home sleep tests (HSTs) and found that collecting three night’s value of data “clearly provides an alternative for diagnosing sleep apnea that’s accessible for all healthcare professionals.”
Multiple-night sleep studies are hardly a new concept but haven’t been trending among providers, patients, or payers until recently. Here are some facts to consider:
Newer technologies make studying patients for more than one night easier than ever. What are the pros and cons?
Sleep is complicated, and many reasons could account for irregularities in sleep patterns from one night to another. From alcohol to sleeping position, even seemingly minor changes in a person’s nighttime routine can significantly impact the results of polysomnography.
Recently, researchers found single-night sleep studies could miss moderate and mild obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) up to 60% and 84% of the time, respectively. Another recent study published in CHEST, which examined 10,340 adults, found that monitoring just one night’s worth of data resulted in notable misdiagnoses in OSA severity. The study’s population was administered home sleep tests (HSTs) and found that collecting three night’s value of data “clearly provides an alternative for diagnosing sleep apnea that’s accessible for all healthcare professionals.”
Multiple-night sleep studies are hardly a new concept but haven’t been trending among providers, patients, or payers until recently. Here are some facts to consider: