Home Sleep Test: Is It Worth a Try?
Disadvantages of HSTs
Results aren't detailed
The results of HSTs are not very detailed since there is less equipment such as EEG electrodes, which are used to check brain activity during sleep. HSTs can record the patient’s breathing and oxygen for an entire night but not the specifics such as the stage of sleep the patient is in. It cannot also determine whether the patient is really asleep which causes inaccurate findings on the number of apnea episodes the patient has. As a result, the pressure needed for a CPAP machine cannot be obtained, and the patient has no choice but to use an APAP machine that has a variety of pressures.
