Home Sleep Study

What is a Home Sleep Test?

This test diagnoses sleep apnea using a device called a "Watch-PAT" worn on the wrist at bedtime. A finger probe accurately measures your peripheral arterial tone (PAT) or breathing events during sleep. Blood oxygen levels, pulse rate, movement, and snoring are also recorded. You will be shown how to attach a Watch-PAT.

To use the Watch-PAT overnight, you must sign a loan agreement and agree to return it the next day. Once returned, a report of your PAT will be printed and used to make a diagnosis.

Appointments

  • Schedule your appointment on a day when you can get at least 6 hours of continuous sleep with the device turned on
  • Allow 1 to 2 hours to return the device. If positive for sleep apnea, we will discuss a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) mask treatment trial. 

Preparing for your test

  • fingernails close enough to the tip of the finger so they are not seen from the palm side of the hand. Do not use hand cream or lotion.
  • Medicines: Let us know if you take any of the following medicines as they CANNOT be used during the test. You may need to have a different sleep test:
    • Doxazosin (Cardura®, Carduran®)
    • Vardenafil (Levitra®)
    • Nitroglycerin (such as Nitro-Bid®, Nitro-Dur®, Transderm-Nitro®)
    • Opiates (such as buprenorphine, codeine, fentanyl, hydromorphone, meperidine, methadone, morphine, nalbuphine, naloxone, oxycodone, pentazocine, propoxyphene, tramadol)
    • Phentolamine (Regitine®)
    • Prazosin (Minipress®)
    • Sildenafil (Viagra®)
    • Tadalafil (Cialis®)
    • Tamsulosin (Flomax®)
    • Terazosin (Hytrin®)

Pacemaker:  If you have a pacemaker, please let us know. We will have to schedule you for different sleep test.

Completing your test

Just before you go to bed, connect the device to your body. Attach the Watch PAT to your wrist, the probe to your finger, and a snore microphone to your neck.

After your test

  1. The day after your test, return the Watch PAT to the Kaiser Permanente Sleep Lab (1st floor, Malama Ohana Building at Kaiser Moanalua Medical Center). See map above.
  2. Be sure to have a debit or credit card with you.  A charge may be incurred if a CPAP mask treatment trial is initiated.
  3. If your results are negative for sleep apnea, contact your referring physician for next steps.
  4. If your results are positive for sleep apnea, a 10-14 day

at-home CPAP mask treatment trial will be coordinated with Kaiser Permanente provider, Apria Home Healthcare.

  • To ensure that enough information is collected during the trial period, use the machine for at least 4 to 5 continuous hours at a time for 4 to 5 nights.
  • After the trial period, the data collected will be

downloaded and mask use recommendations will be sent to your referring doctor.

  • Depending on test results, some people may require an overnight sleep test in the Sleep Lab.