Sleep study for sleep apnea: What to expect 

[Text on screen: The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center
Sleep apnea sleep studies: What to expect]

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[Text on screen: Meena Khan, MD
Sleep medicine specialist
Ohio State Wexner Medical Center]

Meena Khan, MD: We diagnose obstructive sleep apnea with a sleep study. There's two types of sleep studies. One is a home sleep study or a home sleep apnea test. Typically, we monitor breathing with that, but not always sleep, so we can monitor whether or not somebody is having apneas. 

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Typically, most devices have a receptor under the nose to measure air flow and belts to measure effort on the chest and the abdomen or the stomach, and then an oxygen sensor on the finger. There are other devices that just go on the finger that measure changes in pulse rate and things like this to try to predict obstructive sleep apnea and other various home sleep apnea testing devices.

The other way to diagnose obstructive sleep apnea is with an in-lab sleep study and that means the person comes to the sleep lab and sleeps overnight. And we monitor sleep with electrodes on the head, we monitor breathing with the same respiratory sensors, so an airflow receptor under the nose in front of the mouth, belts on the chest and the abdomen to measure breathing effort, an oxygen sensor on the finger to measure oxygen saturation. They'll have leads on their legs to monitor leg movements and then typically there's a video as well in case there's any abnormal behaviors during sleep that we need to catch. 

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The sleep testing is always done during sleep. You diagnose obstructive sleep apnea during a test done during sleep. You can't diagnose it while you're awake because it doesn't happen when you're awake. It only happens when you're sleeping.

[Text on screen: The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center
For more information, visit: wexnermedical.osu.edu/sleepapneaCPAP]

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