AASM Approves Home Sleep Testing To Detect Sleep Apnea

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AASM Approves Home Sleep Testing To Detect Sleep Apnea

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/91759.php

New guidelines from the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM)

state that a home sleep test can help detect obstructive sleep apnea

(OSA) in select adults.

A home sleep test involves the use of a portable-monitoring system

that you wear as you sleep in your own bed. It consists of a small

recording device, sensors, belts and related cables and accessories.

The AASM guidelines stress that only select adults are likely to

benefit from a home sleep test. Home sleep tests are only

recommended for adults between the ages of 18 and 65 who have a high

pretest probability of moderate to severe OSA, and no comorbid

medical conditions.

If you have concerns about your sleep, then you should set up an

appointment at an AASM-accredited sleep disorders center. There you

will receive a complete sleep evaluation by a board-certified sleep

specialist. He or she will determine if a home sleep test is right

for you.

The other option is to do a standard overnight sleep study at a

sleep disorders center. This is the best testing method if you have

another sleep disorder or major medical problem. It is also the best

option for children and older adults.

An overnight sleep study can detect all levels of OSA and many other

sleep disorders. The results give your doctor the most-detailed

information about your sleep.

OSA is a common sleep disorder that involves repeated pauses in

breathing during sleep. It occurs when the muscles relax during

sleep. This causes soft tissue in the back of the throat to collapse

and block the upper airway.

Key risk factors for OSA include loud and frequent snoring, daytime

sleepiness and obesity. Most adults who have OSA have not yet been

diagnosed.

After a home sleep test, it is important to make a follow-up visit

to the AASM-accredited sleep disorders center. If the test results

indicate that you have OSA, then the sleep specialist will develop a

treatment plan for you.

You can find an AASM-accredited sleep disorders center near you by

going to http://www.SleepCenters.org.

The AASM guidelines for home sleep testing appear in the December 15

issue of the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine.