For starters, please refer also to my answer for “How does one differentiate normal snoring from sleep apnea?"
However, the only way to diagnose definitively if there is sleep apnea is with a sleep study. The sleep study is important not only to diagnose if there is sleep apnea, but also to quantify its severity so as to guide management.
A sleep apnea study would monitor your sleep overnight, including your breathing pattern, blood oxygen level, blood pressure, brain activity, heart rhythm, limb movement, snore loudness levels, sleeping positions are monitored. There is no pain, and no needles are used.
Your doctor will decide if you need an attended sleep study with a technician watching and checking whilst you sleep, or an unattended one.
Patients may find it difficult to sleep initially or all night in a new environment with sticky surface electrodes on their face, chest and limbs hooked up to equipment and monitors. Thus, for more straight forward cases of sleep apnea, a home-based sleep study works sufficiently and well too.
The WatchPAT is an example of a portable home sleep study device, providing the option of a cheaper, more natural experience in the patient’s home.
For cases where it is more likely to be due to obstructive sleep apnea and not neurological system or complex sleep disorders, the WatchPAT is sufficient and has high accuracy. Your doctor will help advise on which type of sleep study is appropriate after the consult.
