Diagnosis of sleep apnea involves an overnight study at a sleep lab, or in some cases, a home test that monitors your breathing and vital signs while you sleep.
One of the main symptoms of sleep apnea is snoring, so many patients are alerted to their problem by a spouse or bed partner.
If there's any chance you may have sleep apnea, your doctor should prescribe a sleep study or refer you to a certified sleep specialist.
For more about different sleep tests, read the descriptions below from our A-Z Health Library.
Your doctor will examine you and ask you and possibly your sleeping partner questions about your lifestyle, snoring, sleep behavior, and how tired you feel during the day (this is called a medical history). Your doctor may ask you to complete a questionnaire, such as the Epworth Sleepiness Scale. The answers to questions in this questionnaire can help the doctor find out if you have sleep apnea. If your doctor thinks that you may have obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), he or she may suggest sleep studies or other tests.
- Sleep studies are a series of tests that record what happens to your body during sleep. The most important test for sleep apnea is polysomnography. This test records electrical activity of your brain, eye movement, muscle activity, heart rate, breathing, airflow through your nose and mouth, and blood oxygen levels (saturation). Polysomnography is the only sure way to find out whether you have sleep apnea. For more information, see:
Other tests that you may have include:
- Blood tests to check for hypothyroidism (TSH test) or a high red blood cell count (complete blood count).
- Electrocardiogram (EKG, ECG) to see if sleep apnea has affected your heart.
If your sleep apnea has not improved after initial treatment, and if enlarged tissues in your mouth and throat are causing it, your doctor may do one or more tests before suggesting surgery to remove the excess tissue. These tests may include:
- Fiber-optic pharyngoscopy, to see whether your airway is too narrow or collapses during breathing.
- A CT scan of the head to look for an overly large tongue and excessive soft tissue in the neck, as well as to locate the narrowest part of your airway.
- X-rays. A cephalometric X-ray is a type of head X-ray that allows your doctor to see bone deformities of the skull. This type of X-ray test may not be available in every hospital.
To diagnose sleep apnea in children, doctors follow similar steps. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics:5
- During a routine checkup, your doctor will ask you and your child about snoring. If your child snores, be sure to tell your doctor.
- A complete sleep study generally is needed to tell if your child has sleep apnea and is not just snoring.
- Children who have sleep apnea and who also have genetic disorders, lung disease, sickle cell disease, disorders of the head or face, Down syndrome, cerebral palsy, facial disorders, or severe heart or lung problems should see a specialist.
You may need sleep tests after your treatment begins, to see how well it is working.
Last Updated: July 13, 2007 