Home Sleep Study

A home sleep study—often called an HST (Home Sleep Test)—is a medical test that lets you monitor your sleep breathing patterns in the comfort of your own bed instead of at a sleep lab.

Here’s a clear breakdown:

Purpose:

• Primarily used to check for sleep-disordered breathing, especially obstructive sleep apnea (OSA).
• Not as comprehensive as an in-lab sleep study (polysomnography), but more convenient and less expensive.

How It Works:

• Your healthcare provider gives you a small, portable monitoring device (usually for 1–3 nights).
• You wear the equipment while you sleep at home, following simple instructions.
• The device tracks specific signals related to your breathing.

Typical Measurements Recorded:

1. Airflow – via a nasal cannula to detect pauses or reductions in breathing.
2. Breathing effort – via a belt around your chest or abdomen to see if you’re trying to breathe.
3. Oxygen levels – with a fingertip pulse oximeter to check for drops caused by apnea events.
4. (Some devices also record snoring, heart rate, or sleeping position.)

Advantages:

• More comfortable than sleeping in a lab.
• Can reflect your natural sleep environment.
• Usually less costly and easier to schedule.

Limitations:

• Doesn’t track brain activity, so it can’t fully measure sleep stages or detect other sleep disorders like narcolepsy or periodic limb movement disorder.
• May underestimate mild sleep apnea.

After the Test:

• Data is sent back to your sleep clinic or physician.
• A sleep specialist reviews the results and decides if you need treatment—like CPAP therapy, oral appliances, or lifestyle changes.