Sleep apnea is a condition that causes breathing to stop intermittently during sleep. It is a common condition – with one study reporting 17% of women and 34% of men are affected by it, and recent research suggests these rates are underestimated.¹

Sleep apnea can lead to many issues including long-term sleep deprivation, daytime exhaustion, forgetfulness, diabetes, heart disease, depression, and compromised immunity.² In short, it’s a prevalent and serious disorder that can impact your long-term health. 

In this article, we discuss sleep apnea tests and what to expect during the testing process. 

Types of sleep apnea test                                                                                  

In-lab sleep apnea test (polysomnography)

This more traditional sleep study involves sleeping overnight in a sleep lab as your breathing, blood pressure, brain activity and other metrics are assessed.³ The ‘gold standard’ in sleep apnea testing, a polysomnography, gives your health professional information about what’s going on while you sleep.⁴

At-home sleep apnea test 

At-home testing may be suitable for people with mild-to-moderate sleep apnea. You self-manage the test using an at-home testing kit, then report back to your specialist with the information that has been recorded overnight.⁵

What happens during an in-lab test?

During the test, you’ll sleep in a testing facility while a sleep team assesses your sleep quality. Some labs test over a single night, while others may want to track two or more nights of sleep. 

You’ll be assigned a bedroom fitted with testing equipment, including sensors, (these look like small, round stickers that measure brain and muscle activity), a belt for around your chest to track breathing, and a pulse oximeter probe to monitor blood oxygen. 

Preparing for an in-lab sleep apnea test 

When you’re booked for an in-lab sleep apnea test, your doctor or the sleep team will tell you how to prepare. In most cases, they will instruct you to avoid caffeine or alcohol just before the test, as this can interfere with your results. They will also tell you whether to take your regular medications. Bring comfortable pajamas, your favorite pillow, and a book or magazine to help you drift off. 

While in-lab tests can be a little daunting, they’re a rigorous way to check for sleep apnea symptoms. 

Here is what is measured: 

EEG (electroencephalography) 
 Tracks and records brain waves (on an encephalogram) helping your team work out whether you are getting adequate, high-quality sleep. Go to What are the stages of sleep?

EMG (electromyography) 
 Records muscle activity, including tooth grinding, face twitching and leg movements, which can interfere with restful sleep. It’s also used to identify the crucial REM (rapid eye movement) sleep stage. 

EOG (electrooculography) 
 Measures eye movement to help identify different sleep stages, including REM sleep. 

EKG (electrocardiography) 
 Tracks heart rate and rhythm, checking for unusual patterns (arrhythmia) and looking at how your heart rate changes over your sleep cycle. 

Nasal airflow test 
 Measures airflow to find out if and how often breathing is compromised during sleep. 

Snore microphone test 
 Records snoring levels. 

Pulse oximeter 
 Measures fluctuations in blood oxygen levels and pulse rate. 

Respiratory inductance plethysmography (RIP)

This provides a non-invasive measurement of lung volume using recording bands around the thorax and abdomen.

What happens during an at-home sleep apnea test?

Instead of visiting a sleep clinic, you are given a home testing kit along with instructions so you can track your own sleep, usually for a single night. 

At-home tests do not use some of the equipment used in a clinic and are not monitored by a sleep team or doctor. Information supplied by home testing equipment can sometimes be sparse. Thus, at-home tests may not provide information such as sleeping position, snoring intensity, or sleep quality which can be useful when making treatment decisions. However, at-home tests allow you to sleep in the comfort of your own home and the process is less expensive. 

At-home testing kits vary, but most include: 

Finger clip 
This tool looks like a clothes peg. It clips onto the end of your finger and measures blood oxygen and pulse rate.

Nasal cannula 
A nasal cannula is a narrow tube with two small inserts that sit in your nostrils. During a sleep apnea test, it is used to measure airflow and check for pauses in breathing. 

Chest sensors 
These sensors stick to your chest and measure your heartbeat as you sleep. 

Why would I need a sleep apnea test? 

Testing for sleep apnea may be prompted by symptoms such as:²

• frequent or loud snoring
• tiredness and fatigue during the day
• problems with concentration or focus
• gasping or choking during sleep
• dry mouth or sore throat in the mornings
• headaches, particularly in the mornings
• mood issues or depression. 

Sleep apnea is a potentially dangerous condition, which can create significant long-term health problems and disrupt your day-to-day life if left untreated. 

Frequently asked questions

How can you tell if you need a sleep apnea test? 

If you have symptoms of sleep apnea, including snoring, difficulty staying asleep (insomnia), frequent daytime tiredness (hypersomnia), problems with focus, headaches or dry mouth in the mornings, and gasping or choking awake during the night you may need a sleep apnea test.² Talk to your medical provider about your symptoms and they will let you know whether you need a test. 

Can you test yourself for sleep apnea? 

At-home sleep apnea testing involves using a testing kit to track your breathing, heart rate, and blood oxygen while you sleep. While this type of test is done at home, it still needs to be scheduled by your doctor and the results will be confirmed by a specialist. 

Does anyone pass a sleep apnea test? 

A sleep apnea test is not a pass/fail exercise. Testing is done to help your specialist team collect crucial information about your sleep, so they can diagnose or rule out sleep apnea and other sleep disorders. 

The content is for educational purposes only. It should not be used as a substitute for medical advice of one’s healthcare provider.