OSA is a sleep disorder. It stands for Obstructive Sleep Apnea. Apnea literally means: “no air” or “no breath.” The at-home sleep study is performed to determine if you have a sleep-related respiratory disorder such as apnea or OSA. The study is performed using a device that you wear around your wrist (WatchPAT) and a sensor that is placed on your finger.
Why do I need this exam?
As you sleep, it is normal to briefly stop breathing once in a while. As long as this does not occur too often and does not persist for more than ten seconds at a time, there is no cause for concern.
People with apnea may stop breathing momentarily as often as thirty times per hour. These periods of respiratory arrest may sometimes last much longer than ten seconds. In patients with OSA, their apnea is caused by an obstruction in the upper airways. This arrests their respiration and causes oxygen deprivation. If this happens often, it affects the quality of the patient's sleep. These patients often snore as well. During the day, OSA can lead to drowsiness and impaired functioning. In the long run, OSA even leads to an elevated risk of cardiovascular disease. The at-home sleep study is performed to determine if you have a sleep-related respiratory disorder such as apnea or OSA. Your general practitioner can use the test results to optimise your treatment or refer you to a specialist if necessary.
What will we do?
At Diagnostiek voor U, you will receive the measuring equipment needed for the sleep study, the WatchPAT. This is a device that you wear around your wrist and a finger sensor that you put on your finger. You will receive clear instructions on how to wear and use the WatchPAT. You must also fill out a survey about your complaints. We will also ask you to fill out a form with questions about the evening prior to the sleep test and the night of the sleep test itself.
The test will be performed in your own home and in your own bed. The WatchPAT will automatically conduct measurements during the night. Although this is painless, wearing the equipment may feel a bit uncomfortable while you sleep. The device measures if you have periods of respiratory arrest and how long these periods are. The WatchPAT also measures your oxygen level and registers if you snore.
The next morning, you can take off the equipment and return the WatchPAT and the completed form to Diagnostiek voor U. We will then read the data collected by the device. Our sleep expert (pneumonologist) will review the data. Combined with the surveys you filled out, we can determine if you have OSA and if so, how severe it is. Our sleep expert can also advise your general practitioner about possible treatment methods.
Duration of the exam
You must visit Diagnostiek voor U to pick up the WatchPAT and receive instructions on its use. This will take circa thirty minutes. The at-home sleep study takes one whole night. During the sleep study, you can sleep at home in your own bed. The next day, you return the equipment and the survey to Diagnostiek voor U. This will only take five minutes.
How soon can you see me?
We want to help you as quickly as possible, which is why we keep the waiting times short at Diagnostiek voor U. Take a look at the current overview of waiting times for the various exams or read more about our waiting times on this page.
The results
A sleep expert will review the data about your sleep pattern that were collected during the night, as well as the information on the surveys you filled out. They will then write up the test results and their recommendations for further treatment, if necessary. We will send the results of your examination to your general practitioner. Schedule an appointment with your general practitioner or nurse practitioner to discuss your results.
You can also check the results of your exam in the MijnDiagnostiekvoorU client portal. You are free to choose whether you want to look at your results before discussing them with your caregiver.
