A Comfortable At-Home Sleep Apnea Testing Option
You should never underestimate the importance of a good night’s sleep. When it comes to sleep apnea testing in McKinney, our team at SleepRight McKinney understands that just the idea of one uncomfortable night trying to manage a testing device is enough to turn many people off. However, if you suffer from sleep apnea you’re already having many nights of unfulfilling sleep that can lead to problems like daytime drowsiness, trouble concentrating, fatigue, and a host of medical conditions.
Fortunately, SleepRight is changing the way our patients think regarding sleep apnea testing in McKinney. Unlike previous testing methods that would require overnight stays at a sleep clinic or the use of uncomfortable devices that monitor breathing patterns during the night, our revolutionary WatchPAT system allows you to undergo sleep apnea testing comfortably and conveniently at home.
What is a Home Sleep Apnea Test?
Sleep apnea testing – whether at home or in a sleep clinic – provides a sleep medicine specialist with the information needed to diagnose obstructive sleep apnea. Home testing allows you to sleep in your own bed while wearing equipment that gathers information about how you breathe during sleep.
There are a variety of home sleep apnea testing devices currently in use at sleep clinics across the U.S. that use different equipment and sensors. These devices measure your blood oxygen levels and breathing. Some may also measure your heart rate and other relevant information about your nightly sleep pattern.
Our specialists at SleepRight may recommend sleep apnea testing in McKinney if:
- You have a high likelihood of suffering from moderate to severe obstructive sleep apnea.
- You have no other significant medical issue other than potential sleep apnea that needs diagnosing.
You may not be a candidate for an at-home sleep apnea test if our sleep specialists believe you may suffer from another type of sleep disorder or if you have certain medical conditions such as neuromuscular diseases, pulmonary diseases, or congestive heart failure.
Testing Process
A home sleep apnea test offers a convenient way for our SleepRight McKinney specialists to collect information about your nightly sleep patterns. On the day you plan to take your test it’s important that you:
- Avoid napping
- Try to follow your regular routine as much as possible
- Don’t drink any caffeine after lunch
If you take a regular prescription medication, talk with Dr. Lawrence as certain medications may influence the results of the test.
Before you take the at-home test, you’ll need to schedule a sleep apnea consultation with our team at SleepRight McKinney. This initial consultation is important for Dr. Lawrence to gain a better understanding of your current medical history and perceived sleep patterns.
Follow the completion of your consultation, a member of our team will instruct you on how to use the WatchPAT. Please feel free to ask any questions you may have during this time about your upcoming test.
If possible, try to stick to your normal sleep schedule. This means going to bed at your usual time and sleeping in your usual positions. When you’re ready for sleep, attach the WatchPAT as instructed and enjoy your comfortable night’s rest.
The WatchPAT will collect data on your sleep throughout the night. Once you return the device to our office, our sleep team will score and interpret the information collected. This may take a few days. Dr. Lawrence will contact you to discuss your results or a follow up appointment will be scheduled where your sleep apnea treatment methods can be fully explored.
The WatchPAT Difference
Until now, most home sleep test devices required the use of tubes, wires, and straps to properly collect a patient’s information. Tubes would run from the patient’s nose to a monitoring device that was strapped to the chest while electrodes were tapped to the body. This combination of foreign objects could easily make trying to get enough sleep a real problem for many potential apnea patients. However, with the WatchPAT that’s a thing of the past.
A small wrist mounted device, the WatchPAT allows testing to be done in the comfort of the patient’s own home, a place best suited for Dr. Lawrence to get clear understanding about the pattern of a patient’s sleep habits. Used by over 1 million patients worldwide, WatchPAT is the only FDA approved device that measures True Sleep Time (rather than the total device recording time) and all sleep stages (awake, light sleep, deep sleep and REM sleep) with up to 90% correlation to an overnight test conducted in a sleep lab.
A small wrist mounted device, the WatchPAT is designed to fit comfortably on the body so you can rest without discomfort. Better testing and improved comfort, that’s the WatchPAT difference.
Sleep apnea and nightly snoring is no laughing matter. Get the rest you deserve by getting the sleep apnea testing in McKinney you need. Sleep better, SleepRight.