FAQs About Home Sleep Tests (HST)

So you stop feeling so tired, and for better health.

A Home Sleep Test (HST) is a screening test for Obstructive Sleep Apnea, one of the most common sleep disorders.  Obstructive Sleep Apnea can cause excessive daytime sleepiness and snoring, and is associated with obesity, heart disease, high blood pressure, stroke and diabetes.

The biggest reason to have your HST is simply excessive daytime sleepiness – You feel more tired than you should.  Excessive daytime sleepiness lowers the quality of life, affects relationships, hinders work performance, can cause personality issues such as irritability and lack of focus, and can create dangerous situations such as impaired driving.  You may feel tired all day and nearly every day, and feel like you can’t live your life to the fullest.  Diagnosing and treating a sleep disorder could give you back your energy, alertness, and enthusiasm – It could give you back your real life.

Snoring is another significant symptom.  Snoring can be an issue for the bed partner and can cause discord, relationship issues and separate bedrooms.  It can be embarrassing or make the snorer an object of ridicule.  About 60% of people who snore have obstructive sleep apnea, and nearly everyone who has obstructive sleep apnea snores.

Obesity can also be related to sleep disorders.  Sleep disorders can contribute to obesity due to low energy, daytime sleepiness and apathy.  Obesity is a risk factor for Obstructive Sleep Apnea.

Sleep disorders are also related to other significant medical conditions.  Obstructive Sleep Apnea is associated with heart disease, high blood pressure, stroke and diabetes.

The reason to have a sleep study is to find out why you’re sleeping poorly and what treatment options might help, so you can improve your quality of life and your health.

A Home Sleep Test (HST) is a screening test designed to diagnose or rule out Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA), one of the most common sleep disorders.

For many patients, we utilize the ApneaLink Air Home Sleep Test device.  The ApneaLink Air device consists of a small central unit about the size of a mobile phone, a belt worn across the chest, a painless finger cap to measure blood oxygen levels and a cannula to measure breathing.  It’s comfortable and easy to use.  We will ship the HST device to you.  You wear the device overnight in your own home to conduct the test, and ship the device back to us the next day.  We provide a prepaid return level so you can return the device easily.  For other patients, we utilize the NightOwl Home Sleep Test device, which is similar in many ways to the ApneaLink Air device.

The steps to complete a Home Sleep Test are:

• Your physician orders the HST
• We contact you via text message, email or phone.
• You can use our online scheduler using your mobile phone or computer to schedule the shipment of the device to you, verify your address and complete needed paperwork.  It’s really easy!  Follow the link in the text message or email we send you.  If you prefer, you can also schedule over the phone.  If you schedule over the phone, we will still need you to complete the needed paperwork either online or on paper.
• We ship you the device.  You can review the simple instructions here:

How to Use the Home Sleep Test – ApneaLink Air device

How to Use the Home Sleep Test – NightOwl device

• You take the test overnight.
  • For the ApneaLink Air device, you use the device for one night and ship the test back to us the next day using the prepaid return envelope that we send along with the device.
  • For the NightOwl device, you use the device for 2 nights in a row.  You do not need to send the NightOwl device back to us – Keep it in a safe location in case a retest is needed.
• We receive the data and analyze and score the data.  The interpreting physician interprets the results, makes the diagnosis and summarizes the results in a report.
• We send the report to your physician.  Your physician reviews the results of the study with you and together you determine next steps.

To get a Home Sleep Test, like any diagnostic sleep study, you must see your physician and your physician must order the study.  Everything we do is based on the order from your doctor.  If you would like us to contact your physician to start the process, you can request a Home Sleep Test here: Request a Home Sleep Test

Your doctor or medical group will send us the order for the test.  It can take 7 to 10 days after you see your doctor before we contact you to schedule your appointment. After you see your doctor, for some types of insurance including PPO, Medicare and Tricare, your doctor will send the prescription and other information directly to us.  For other insurances, including HMO and Medi-Cal, your doctor will send the prescription to your medical group.  Your medical group will review the information and send an authorization to us.  It may take your medical group 7 to 10 days to send the authorization to us.

We will contact you by text message, email or phone to begin the scheduling process.  The easiest way to schedule is to follow the link in the text or email and schedule yourself using our online scheduler.  We use an online scheduler to confirm your address, schedule the shipment of the device, and so you can complete the needed paperwork easily – It’s a quick and easy process.   You can also log in to the online scheduler here:  Click Here for the Online Scheduler  You can also call us at (877) 775-3377.

After you have completed the scheduling process, we will ship you the device.

You take the Home Sleep Test in the comfort of your own home.  It’s easy!  We use one of 2 Home Sleep Test devices depending on your doctor’s order and your insurance coverage.  You can review the instructions here:

How to Use the Home Sleep Test – ApneaLink Air device

How to Use the Home Sleep Test – NightOwl device

The next day you will mail the device back to us (for the ApneaLink Air device) – We provide a prepaid return shipping envelope.  For the NightOwl device, we receive the data back automatically.   Our technician analyzes and scores the data, and the interpreting physician interprets the data, makes a diagnosis and completes the report.

We send the completed report to your doctor, and your doctor will discuss the results with you and together you can plan next steps.

It’s an easy process – And you’ll have taken the first steps towards better sleep and better health!

For a Home Sleep Test, we will mail you the HST device.  We use Priority Mail from the US Post Office.  We use one of 2 Home Sleep Test devices depending on your doctor’s order and your insurance coverage.  You can review the instructions here:

How to Use the Home Sleep Test – ApneaLink Air device

How to Use the Home Sleep Test – NightOwl device

After you receive the device from us, you take the test overnight.

• For the ApneaLink Air device, you use the device for one night and ship the test back to us the next day using the prepaid return envelope that we send along with the device.
• For the NightOwl device, you use the device for 2 nights in a row.  You do not need to send the NightOwl device back to us – Keep it in a safe location in case a retest is needed.

For the ApneaLink Air device, we also send a prepaid return envelope so you can easily return the device to us. To return the device, just place the device in the prepaid return envelope and drop it at your nearest post office.

We use one of 2 Home Sleep Test devices depending on your doctor’s order and your insurance coverage.  Both devices are very easy to use.  You can review the instructions here:

How to Use the Home Sleep Test – ApneaLink Air device

How to Use the Home Sleep Test – NightOwl device

If you have any questions before or after using the Home Sleep Test, please telephone us at (877) 775-3377 to talk with one of our representatives or technicians.  We’re available during business hours.

Please use the test on the night you received it. Please return the back to us as soon as possible as we may have other patients scheduled to use the testing equipment.

If for any reason you cannot test on the first night, please contact customer service at (877) 775-3377. 

Stick to your normal bedtime routine so that you can get a full night’s sleep.

You can turn on the device when you get into bed, even if you don’t fall asleep right away. If you get up in the night, it’s OK to leave the device on until you get back into bed.

If you have any questions before or after using the Home Sleep Test, please telephone us at (877) 775-3377 to talk with one of our representatives or technicians.  We’re available during business hours.

We will send the completed sleep study report to your doctor about 10 business days from the completion of your study, and sooner if possible.  Your doctor will discuss the results of the study with you.

After you take your Home Sleep Test, please return the device to us the next day.  By returning the device to us the next day, you can help us get the results to your physician as quickly as possible.

Once we receive the device, our technician analyzes and scores the data.  The interpreting physician interprets the data, makes a diagnosis and finalizes the sleep study report.  We send the completed report to your doctor.  Your physician will contact you once  the results are ready.

Following your test, we send the completed report to your doctor.  Your doctor will discuss the results with you and together you can decide next steps.

The Home Sleep Test is designed to diagnose or rule out Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA).  During OSA, the back of the throat relaxes and collapses, obstructing the airway and preventing breathing.  The brain wakes up enough to restart breathing., even though most patients do not realize they are waking up.  During OSA, the brain wakes up 5, or 15, or 30 or more times per hour (!!!).

PAP devices can provide much-needed relief for OSA sufferers.  PAP stands for Positive Airway Pressure.  PAP devices work by blowing air into the airway (maintaining a positive airway pressure) to keep the airway open and allow uninterrupted breathing.  PAP devices are the “gold standard” treatment for OSA and provide essentially 100% effectiveness during use, and do not require surgery or drugs.  CPAP stands for Continuous Positive Airway Pressure and these devices operate at a constant fixed pressure.  APAP stands for Auto Positive Airway Pressure and these devices use a computer algorithm to automatically provide higher or lower pressure each night, and from breath to breath, as needed.  We don’t provide PAP devices directly, but work with our partner company to do so.  You can see more about PAP devices here: FAQs about PAP Devices

For mild sleep apnea, your doctor may recommend weight loss, positional or dental devices.  Weight loss may help reduce or eliminate OSA.  Positional devices are designed to encourage the wearer to sleep on their side or stomach, since for some patients OSA may be worse when they sleep on their back.  Dental devices are designed to move the jaw forward, creating additional room in the back of the throat to help maintain an open airway.

If the results from the Home Sleep Test are inconclusive or if you test negative for OSA, but still experience symptoms such as excessive daytime sleepiness, the sleep study report may recommend an in-center overnight sleep study to more fully assess your sleep patterns.  Your physician will help determine next steps.