IDS Patient Education
Home Sleep Testing
Do you snore?
Tired during the Day?
Now Testing is easier!
Relief is near!
What is Home Sleep Testing?
Home Sleep Testing or HST is a way for patients to be evaluated for sleep apnea from the comfort of their own bed. There are just a couple of simple sensors which tell if there are pauses in breathing during sleep. The cost is significantly less, typically just a small fraction of what a more traditional procedure would cost at a sleep laboratory.
IDS Sleep will mail a testing device right to your door. Unlike some HST programs which require that you go to an office to pick up a device and have someone explain how to use it, a package can be waiting for you when you get home. The sensors are pre-connected to the recording unit and fresh batteries have been installed. IDS includes detailed, diagrammed instructions, as well as a video showing you how the process works. Should questions arise, a 24-hour, toll-free technical support line puts you in touch with an experienced IDS technician. If you believe you or someone you know may have sleep apnea, we invite you to follow the links to find out more about the many benefits of IDS Sleep.
Why a new option was needed
Until now, if patients were suspected of having sleep apnea, their primary care physician would refer them to a sleep specialist for evaluation. If the specialist agreed they may suffer from breathing problems in sleep, they would order a sleep study in a special facility called a sleep lab. The procedure, which is called a polysomnography or PSG for short, records multiple signals throughout the night after sensors are applied over most of the body, including the face, legs, chest and arms. In addition to being able to tell if you have sleep apnea, a PSG can tell what percentage of time you are spending in each stage of sleep (which is a measure of how efficiently you are sleeping) and whether you have other, less common sleep disorders such as a sleep walking or narcolepsy.
The problems with facility based procedures include:
Cost - An in-lab PSG costs between $1,200 and $3,000 depending on where you live and the billing practices of the lab. In some cases, insurance may cover the full cost. But today, even those Americans that do have health insurance are often sharing these costs with their employers. This usually means the patient is responsible for 20% ($240-$600) to 100% of the cost when deductibles have not been met for the year. In a down economy, many patients simply can't afford this.
Awkwardness - The idea of having someone watch you sleep is unsettling for some patients. And some people simply have problems sleeping anywhere but in their own beds.
Inconvenience - If patients have problems with transportation, are responsible for the care of others, typically go to work early or stay late, etc., special arrangements need to be made before they can spend a night in the sleep lab.
Doubts about reliability - Does your cat sleep at your feet? Are you fussy about the temperature of the room you sleep in? Do you typically have hot cocoa or a bath before retiring? Do you snuggle with your spouse? We all have routines. Many people find it hard to believe that what happens in the lab could accurately reflect what happens at home. An HST allows you to re-create and show the doctor a typical night for you.
Ready now? Go to the 'Get Tested' page and get the prescription forms for your physician!