Sleep Apnea Symptoms and Diagnosis

Your healthcare provider will want to know about your sleep and health habits, including how much sleep you get, how long it takes to fall asleep and whether you sleepwalk or talk while asleep. Your medications will be reviewed for their effects on sleep and you may be asked about your family history, because sleep apnea runs in families.  A physical exam will help rule out other medical conditions and will look for anything making your upper airway narrower, such as enlarged tonsils or a small jaw, that may contribute to sleep apnea.  

You may be asked to complete a sleep study at home or at a sleep center. A sleep study monitors and records your breathing, heart rate and oxygen levels overnight. In a sleep lab, this non-invasive test will use sensors attached to your head and body connected by long wires to a computer. The results, which may include measuring heart, lung, brain activity, breathing patterns, arm and leg movements and oxygen levels while asleep will help your healthcare provider make a diagnosis of sleep apnea. A sleep study completed in a sleep center provides more information than can be collected when using a portable sleep apnea test at home.  You also may be asked to complete a sleep diary to keep track of your sleeping patterns and how you feel to assist with diagnosing your condition .