I just did a home sleep study for sleep apnea. i have a follow-up to get results soon. what should i be sure to find out?

HST: These home tests look for apnea and base it on recording time not actual sleep time since brain waves usually are not being monitored. A respiratory disturbance index (rdi) will be generated - how many times you stopped or partially stopped breathing per hour. The other thing you can find out is what your lowest oxygen level was. Anything < 90% is very abnormal. Good luck!

Key points: A home sleep study is a good screening tool for possible sleep apnea. Since it cannot differentiate between sleep and awake, the respiratory disturbance index will give you an indication if you may have sleep apnea or not. Also, oxygen level and possible fast or slow heart rates may also be found. A formal overnight study will give you the most accurate and detailed information about your sleep.

As much as you can: Find out how many times you stopped breathing, if possible. How low did the oxygen go? How loud did you snore? Did you sleep well enough?

Sleep Expert: Make sure you are discussing the test results with a sleep MD. He/she will explain the significance of the findings.