Home sleep study
Has anyone here had a home sleep study? What was it like? Were you able to get a diagnosis just through that study?
Yes I recently had a home sleep study which I don't think is very helpful. First of all, I don't think I sleep the same every night. Some nights I sleep very well and other nights (depending on my activity that day or what I ingested) I sleep very poorly. Personally I think a one night study is not really an adequate way of diagnosing a person. Yes. I had to have two before I was diagnosed. Neither was successful because I apparently unhooked myself from the apparatus during sleep. I was a bit surprised because I was quite careful to follow the instructions both times. I had to actually go in to the lab and have a monitored study done. It was not too bad. I was more frustrated to have to repeat the home study than go in to the lab. That location was not far. I did not sleep well there at all, though. Surprised the test showed anything at all useful. 
As a sleep tech I can tell you that the majority of people sleep more than they think. We are frequently able to get enough good usable data even from those people who sleep lightly and wake up often. I am glad your location was not too far away though. Hope the bed was comfy. Warmly, Lisa (SleepApnea.Sleep-Disorders.net Team Member and Advocate)
Yes, one night with a very simple testing device and within a few days, I was diagnosed. It was super easy, comfortable, and accurate.
Best wishes, Tamara (community advocate)My regular attending physician is very reluctant to authorize (Humana) a sleep study. Is a home sleep study less expensive? I would like to know how I can get a home sleep study. Yes! Home studies are far less expensive because they are unattended and don't require the same number of components. They aren't as comprehensive, but if you are just trying to rule in/out sleep apnea, they can do the trick if you qualify. My friend was worried about costs so I recommended she ask her sleep MD for a home test and they agreed. She's now diagnosed and treated.
You can certainly request one. The worst they can do is say no, so I suggest you ask and see what happens. Good luck! Best wishes, Tamara (community advocate)
It had got to the stage where I couldn't stay awake at work, by lunchtime I'd be asleep at my desk. I'd get home of an afternoon and slump into a lounge chair and fall asleep, shaking the roof with my snoring. After 2 years of my wife complaining about my snoring and stopping breathing, she arranged a Dr's appointment for me. He arranged a home sleep test, basically I collected the gear in the afternoon, a quick demonstration on how to hook it all up and off I went. That night, with all the apparatus attached, I attempted to get some sleep, and to my surprise I simply went to sleep as usual. My wife had a terrible night, not being able to sleep with my snoring, and realising how much she would usually kick, prod and poke me during the night to make me roll over to stop snoring, but only getting temporary relief. I dropped off the equipment the next day, a few days later I was contacted with the results, an AHI of 95, mostly obstructive sleep apnoea with some centrals. After my diagnosis I started using a bipap, and after the initial period of getting used to the mask, pressure and machine noise etc, I now use it every night. I won't attempt to sleep without it, I might as well not go to bed at all if I can't use it. My machine has done over 26700 hours work, about 10 years worth of keeping my breathing regular of a night, hopefully it keeps puffing along for a while yet.
Thank you for for sharing your experience. Warmly, Lisa (SleepApnea.Sleep-Disorders.net Team Member) 
This was a wonderful read, I'm really happy for you - thanks so much for sharing.
