At-Home Sleep Tests: What to Know

Home Sleep Tests: What to Know?

 Are you waking up tired and feeling drowsy during the day? Is your bedmate complaining of your snoring? These could all be signs of a sleep disorder. Not to worry: Many are treatable, and some can now be diagnosed from the comfort of your own bed.

Good sleep isn’t merely rest for the body—it’s key to immediate and long-term physical and mental health. Sleep conditions can be tricky to diagnose, but convenient and accurate at-home sleep tests are available for most people who struggle to get enough shut-eye.

At-home sleep tests help doctors diagnose sleep apnea, which is one of the most common sleep disorders and is shared by more than 20 million Americans. A diagnosis is the first step to correcting sleep apnea. If left untreated, this condition is tied to high blood pressure, heart disease and stroke.

“Sleep conditions are underrecognized, and they’re not something people talk about freely when they see their doctor,” said Oragun Rojanapairat, MD, a pulmonologist and sleep expert who treats patients in the Sleep Health Program at Cedars-Sinai. “Sleep is connected to basically everything, even concerns like heart problems, cognitive function, diabetes and high blood pressure.”