Sleep Apnea is a condition which results in pauses in breathing during your sleep. The upper airways becomes blocked or obstructed intermittently which results in disturbances to the usual sleeping pattern and results in poor quality of sleep. The condition can be associated with high blood pressure, heart rhythm problems, heart disease, diabetes and stroke.

A home sleep monitor is a small device used to measure chest movement, oxygen saturation, pulse rate, nasal airflow and body position while you are asleep in your bed in familiar surroundings. It is a simple and effective method of diagnosing Obstructive Sleep Apnea. Patients appreciate being able to undergo the test while sleeping in the comfort of their own bed.

The procedure is not painful, however you may find the tubing under your nostrils and finger attachment uncomfortable. You may have difficulty sleeping on your stomach due to the position of the device on your chest. The monitor is safe, lightweight, and compact. On most occasions if you don’t sleep as well as usual we get enough data to determine your sleeping issues.

• If an external patient bring a copy of your referral from your GP
• Be in clothes that you are comfortable to wear to bed ( ie loose T shirt and shorts)
• Credit card / Cash to pay the out of pocket administration fee
• No Nail Polish or False Nails
• No facial make up
• Ensure you have washed hair the night before

The admin fee is a fee which covers the cost of administration involved in running the sleep study and can’t be claimed from medicare or your health fund. Medicare covers the majority of the sleep study fee.

You need to present to the office at the scheduled time of the study. Please try to be on time as staff have commitments to other patients. Belts are fitted around your chest and abdomen and wires are attached to chest and head for the purpose of monitoring heart rhythm and brain wave patterns during sleep. The monitor will be preprogrammed to turn itself on at your anticipated bedtime:

• You will have belts around chest and abdomen
• Leads are placed on your scalp and behind your ears to monitor you sleep stages (EEG)
• Leads are attached to your face near your eyes and chin
• A lead will be attached to your legs to monitor limb movements
• You will have tubing near your nostrils to measure nasal flow and snoring
• You will be able to get out of bed at night to move around without detaching wires

Once the device is attached to your body and the set-up is complete you will need to go home. Once the device is attached it cannot be removed until the next morning.

Please be aware once the device is on you will need to go straight home as it cannot be removed till the morning.

The data is downloaded, analyzed and then reviewed by a sleep specialist. The report will be available for your visit with the specialist at your next appointment. If this is an external referral you should book with your GP for 3 weeks after the test is booked. Always ring the GP to check they have received the report to save any delays.