Sleep Apnoea Home Test

Sleep apnoea statistics

Sleep apnoea is estimated to affect between 8 million and 10 million people in the UK, 30 million people in the US and almost 1 billion people worldwide.

Do you fall asleep easily during the day?

Do you regularly wake up feeling unrefreshed?

Are you struggling to concentrate?

Irritable? Tired all the time? Gaining weight?

Common symptoms of sleep apnoea

Snoring is one of the most common symptoms of sleep apnoea.
Not everyone who snores has sleep apnoea, and not everyone who has sleep apnoea snores.
Another common symptom of sleep apnoea is excessive daytime sleepiness.

Who is at risk of sleep apnoea & why?

Older adults – reduced muscle tone causing the airways to collapse

Men – large neck circumferences and more fat distribution around the upper airway, resulting in a higher chance of the airway collapsing during sleep

Postmenopausal women – decreasing levels of protective hormones, and a decline in muscle tone including the muscles that support the airway

Being overweight – fat deposits around the neck can obstruct the upper airway, leading to breathing interruptions during sleep

People with nasal congestion – having a deviated septum, nasal polyps or chronic sinusitis

Other risk factors for sleep apnoea

Alcohol and sedative medications – relax the muscles in the throat, increasing the risk of airway obstruction and snoring, which can lead to sleep apnoea.
Smoking – causes inflammation and fluid retention in the upper airway, which can lead to increased risk of sleep apnoea.
Having a family history of sleep apnoea – genes inherited from your parents may make someone more susceptible to developing sleep apnoea

Do men and women display different symptoms of sleep apnoea?

Yes! Snoring, gasping and apnoeas tend to be more common in men. Women are more likely to present with excessive daytime sleepiness, insomnia, mood disturbance and fatigue.

Women and sleep apnoea

Between 3.6% and 27% of pregnant women have sleep apnoea.

Women with polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) are 30 times more likely to have sleep apnoea, especially if they are overweight.

Menopause is associated with a higher risk of sleep apnoea. This is because oestrogen and progesterone are protective against sleep apnoea due to their effect on the upper-airway dilator muscles

How many people actually know if they have sleep apnoea?

The Sleep Apnoea Trust estimates that in the UK, about 2.5 to 3 million individuals with OSA are currently undiagnosed.

About 80% of the US population with sleep apnoea are undiagnosed.

Globally, it is estimated that around 85% of people with sleep apnoea don’t even know they have it.

Why is sleep apnoea underdiagnosed and untreated for many?

Front line doctors do not routinely ask their patients about the duration or quality of their sleep, or screen patients for sleep apnoea.

Many patients do not routinely raise concerns about their sleep with their doctors.

What are the consequences of not treating sleep apnoea?

Untreated sleep apnoea is linked to many medical conditions including high blood pressure, congestive heart failure, arrhythmias, stroke, obesity, type 2 diabetes and kidney failure.

Untreated sleep apnoea is also associated with mental health conditions including an increased risk of depression, anxiety and cognitive impairment.

Pregnant women – Untreated sleep apnoea in pregnancy has been linked with gestational hypertension, pre-eclampsia, gestational diabetes, and potential adverse outcomes for the unborn baby such as intrauterine growth restriction and preterm birth.

Sexual function – untreated sleep apnoea is associated with erectile dysfunction, lower semen quality and lower testosterone levels in men, and impaired sexual functioning in women.

Drivers – people with untreated sleep apnoea are more likely to fall asleep behind the wheel or have delayed responses during driving.

As with most medical conditions, the longer sleep apnoea goes untreated, the worse the above complications can get.

It doesn’t have to be this way!!

The solution to sleep apnoea

The first step is to get tested to see if you have sleep apnoea.

Why do so many people not get tested for sleep apnoea?

Many people are simply not aware that snoring is a potentially serious medical symptom, so they don’t report this to their doctor. Others find themselves on long waiting lists for sleep apnoea tests.

Introducing the Sleep Psychiatrist Home Sleep Apnoea Test Service (Sleep Psychiatrist HSAT)

Fast, efficient and convenient.
The Sleep Psychiatrist HSAT works around you.
No need to travel, and no need to spend the night in the sleep lab.
Undergo testing for sleep apnoea from the comfort of your own home.

How does it work?

Consult with Dr Mistry, then book in your HSAT
The HSAT kit will be delivered to your home
Support for set up via telephone calls and video guidance
Patient support centre for your HSAT can be contacted 24/7 365 days per year
Go to sleep in the comfort of your own bed.

After the home sleep study

The report is automatically uploaded to a secure cloud, and scored by a RPSGT qualified sleep physiologist.

Diagnostic accuracy

The Sleep Psychiatrist Home Sleep Apnoea Test is manually scored.

Manual scoring is more accurate in older adults and in women.

Our HSAT can detect obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA), as well as central sleep apnoea (CSA) and upper airway resistance syndrome (UARS).

What is included in the Sleep Psychiatrist Home Sleep Apnoea Test Service

Full home sleep apnoea testing service
Detailed diagnostic report
Follow-up appointment with Dr Mistry to discuss the results
Onwards referral for treatment to a specialist handpicked by Dr Mistry for peace of mind

What makes the Sleep Psychiatrist Home Sleep Apnoea Test Service different?

The option to have 2 nights of testing instead of 1.
This helps minimise test reliability issues that occur as a result of night-to-night variability.
More data collected, greater accuracy for peace of mind.

Treatment

Untreated sleep apnoea has consequences for your overall quality of life and your long-term physical and mental health.

It is vital for your longevity and wellbeing that this condition is taken seriously and treated.

The wide range of treatment options available for sleep apnoea can be confusing.

The Sleep Psychiatrist Home Sleep Apnoea Test Service includes onward referral to the most appropriate sleep apnoea specialists who have been handpicked by Dr Mistry for their expertise and track record with treating sleep apnoea.

The most appropriate treatment very much depends on the type of sleep apnoea you have and the severity.

If I have sleep apnoea, do I have to be treated with CPAP?

Not necessarily, it depends on the severity of sleep apnoea and this is something that can be discussed during your follow-up appointment with Dr Mistry.

See this article by Dr Mistry for more information about sleep apnoea.

Dr Mistry: “Breathe well to sleep well”