A Step-by-Step Guide to Home Sleep Testing
We guide you at every step – from selecting the right test, explaining the process, to consulting on the results. Let us help you towards a restful night's sleep.
Introduction to Home Sleep Testing
Can a simple-looking device that wraps around your finger really measure sleep quality and sleep disorder breathing? Yes! And, they’re FDA approved and cost-effective too. They provide a simultaneous recording of heart rate, oxygen saturation, respiratory analysis, and sleep time using a photoplethysmography sensor (PPG) applied to the finger and connected to an app on your phone.
Taken together, these measurements add up to an apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) recording the number of breathing pauses per hour of sleep. Based on this score, you’ll be diagnosed with mild, moderate or severe obstructive sleep apnea, or none at all.
It’s important to get tested for Sleep Apnea, especially if you snore and wake repeatedly. Narrowing of the throat when asleep is what causes sleep apnea and in turn this causes a drop in oxygen in all the organs in your body including your brain and heart. Sleep apnea is linked to type 2 diabetes, strokes and heart attacks, as well as daytime sleepiness and loss of sexual vigor. Hence our motto, Sleep Better, Live Longer.
BlueSleep has successfully diagnosed tens of thousands of patients with Sleep Apnea using Home Sleep Tests. In very rare cases (less than one percent of cases), you may need to go to a sleep lab for a polysomnography (PSG), the older sleep test which requires many more sensors on your body and spending a night in a facility.
Take a Home Sleep Test
How Our Service Stands Out?
BlueSleep’s is 100% focused on sleep health. That means finding the most innovative and accurate Home Sleep Test and having outstanding sleep specialists to read your results and to provide an expert diagnosis and treatment plan.
Board-Certified Sleep Specialists
FDA-approved Home Sleep Tests and Interpretation
Pre- and Post-Treatment Home Sleep Test to Measure Success
Insurance verification and pre-authorizations for ease and affordability
Comprehensive support throughout the process
How Much Does a Home Sleep Test Cost?
Insurance
BlueSleep accepts medical insurance, and patients normally have a copay or coinsurance, typically ranging from $20-$70 depending on the insurance plan. This amount varies by insurance company. We recommend checking with your insurance company to determine your specific benefits and actual cost.
*Note that BlueSleep is considered a “Specialist” visit, not a “Primary Care” visit.
*Note that an FDA-approved Home Sleep Test by a licensed medical provider is required by insurance companies to pay for sleep apnea treatment.
*Note that Medicare accepts the results of a Home Sleep Test to justify the need for a CPAP.
Self-Pay
BlueSleep offers a self-pay (no insurance) discounted rate of $204, which aligns closely with the out-of-pocket cost for the home sleep test.
Shipping
We charge $19.50 for shipping and handling the device to your home. Please note insurance usually doesn’t cover this cost, however you can check with your FSA, HSA for coverage.
The Home Sleep Test Process
Receive your device for the test
After reviewing your sleep questionnaire and sleep history during the initial visit, the provider may recommend a Home Sleep Test. We ship the test to arrive at your home usually within three business days (we ship by UPS or USPS priority mail).
Follow the instructions
Have no fear. The set-up process is remarkably easy. Just follow the instructions provided below, and watch the instructional videos before use.
Taking the test is easy:
Pair the device with your phone
Attach the device to your hand or finger
Keep it on all night, even if you get up to go to the bathroom
Don’t delay taking the test
You don’t want to put off your treatment for health reasons, and insurance companies have a time limit on the pre-authorization for the test. Furthermore, if you haven’t completed the test within 30 days, BlueSleep charges $200 for the test.
Prepare for a follow-up visit to review your results
Your follow-up visit to review your test results occurs about two weeks after your initial visit. This allows time to take the test and for BlueSleep to score the results.
Instructions for Home Sleep Test
SleepImage
A step-by-step tutorial for setting up your home sleep test. Remember to place the device on your index finger and leave it on all night, even if you get up at night.
WatchPAT ONE E
A step-by-step PDF Patient instructions for setting up your home sleep test.
View instructionWatchPAT ONE
A step-by-step tutorial for setting up your 1-night home sleep test.
NightOwl
A step-by-step tutorial for setting up your 3-night home sleep test.
FAQs
What is the process to get diagnosed and treated at BlueSleep?
BlueSleep performs sleep apnea and snoring evaluations online. We’ve treated over 20,000 sleep patients. Simply go to BlueSleep.com to make a convenient appointment with one of our providers. We accept most insurances (Aetna, Cigna, Oxford, United, Blue Cross, GHI, Medicare, and others).
You’ll likely need a home sleep test if you haven’t had one within the last few years. We are currently using personal disposable home sleep tests that will be shipped to your home after an online consultation with our sleep specialist. Home sleep tests are covered by insurance only when prescribed by a health care provider and only when necessary due to a high suspicion of sleep apnea.
A second telemedicine visit is scheduled to review the results of your sleep test and discuss treatment options. If you choose treatment with an oral appliance, you can either go to one of our facilities for a digital scan of your teeth or we’ll ship a home impression (mold) kit. Our staff will assist you with the dental impressions during a scheduled virtual visit.
If you choose treatment with CPAP, we’ll arrange for a CPAP company to deliver the equipment to your home. Insurance usually covers this treatment, and the CPAP provider will verify coverage for you. Once you’ve received the CPAP, you’ll make an appointment with our sleep specialist to review the use and efficacy of the treatment.
Insurance coverage for oral appliance treatment requires a diagnosis of sleep apnea and symptoms other than just snoring. Our staff and billing team performs pre-authorization for in-network coverage of the treatment and communicates with you regarding any financial responsibility, which may include copays, coinsurance, and deductibles, prior to ordering the appliance.
We’ll then ship or email the impressions to the dental lab or manufacturer to make your appliance. You should know that Blue Cross and Medicare limit the types of appliances they will pay for - this is beyond our control. If you want a different type of appliance, not covered by Blue Cross or Medicare, this becomes a self-pay service. We’ve made thousands of oral appliances for our patients, and we work with many manufacturers and dental labs including:
Panthera, Prosomnus, Glidewell, Whole You, Somnomed, Dynaflex, Oventus, and others.
We’ll ship the appliance to your home and schedule a virtual fitting session with our staff to instruct you on its use and care. If you require in person adjustments, we’ll schedule a visit in one of our facilities.
The time it takes for you to receive your oral appliance depends on how quickly your insurance provides a pre-authorization, and how quickly the lab manufactures the appliance. The process can take as little as 2 weeks, and as long as 3 months or more for some payers.
We’ll ship a home sleep test usually 4 to 8 weeks after you’ve started using the appliance and have adjusted it according to the quality of your sleep. We suggest using the "Snore Lab" app on your smartphone, in addition to observations from your bed partner, and your overall daytime function and energy levels; to help you titrate (adjust) your appliance.Virtual or in person visits are scheduled every 6-12 months thereafter to assure proper efficacy of the treatment, and proper fit of the appliance. If you have any questions, please contact [email protected].
You’ll likely need a home sleep test if you haven’t had one within the last few years. We are currently using personal disposable home sleep tests that will be shipped to your home after an online consultation with our sleep specialist. Home sleep tests are covered by insurance only when prescribed by a health care provider and only when necessary due to a high suspicion of sleep apnea.
A second telemedicine visit is scheduled to review the results of your sleep test and discuss treatment options. If you choose treatment with an oral appliance, you can either go to one of our facilities for a digital scan of your teeth or we’ll ship a home impression (mold) kit. Our staff will assist you with the dental impressions during a scheduled virtual visit.
If you choose treatment with CPAP, we’ll arrange for a CPAP company to deliver the equipment to your home. Insurance usually covers this treatment, and the CPAP provider will verify coverage for you. Once you’ve received the CPAP, you’ll make an appointment with our sleep specialist to review the use and efficacy of the treatment.
Insurance coverage for oral appliance treatment requires a diagnosis of sleep apnea and symptoms other than just snoring. Our staff and billing team performs pre-authorization for in-network coverage of the treatment and communicates with you regarding any financial responsibility, which may include copays, coinsurance, and deductibles, prior to ordering the appliance.
We’ll then ship or email the impressions to the dental lab or manufacturer to make your appliance. You should know that Blue Cross and Medicare limit the types of appliances they will pay for - this is beyond our control. If you want a different type of appliance, not covered by Blue Cross or Medicare, this becomes a self-pay service. We’ve made thousands of oral appliances for our patients, and we work with many manufacturers and dental labs including:
Panthera, Prosomnus, Glidewell, Whole You, Somnomed, Dynaflex, Oventus, and others.
We’ll ship the appliance to your home and schedule a virtual fitting session with our staff to instruct you on its use and care. If you require in person adjustments, we’ll schedule a visit in one of our facilities.
The time it takes for you to receive your oral appliance depends on how quickly your insurance provides a pre-authorization, and how quickly the lab manufactures the appliance. The process can take as little as 2 weeks, and as long as 3 months or more for some payers.
We’ll ship a home sleep test usually 4 to 8 weeks after you’ve started using the appliance and have adjusted it according to the quality of your sleep. We suggest using the "Snore Lab" app on your smartphone, in addition to observations from your bed partner, and your overall daytime function and energy levels; to help you titrate (adjust) your appliance.Virtual or in person visits are scheduled every 6-12 months thereafter to assure proper efficacy of the treatment, and proper fit of the appliance. If you have any questions, please contact [email protected].
Is a Home Sleep Test reliable?
Home sleep apnea testing technology has existed for close to 30 years. We’ve conducted our own medical research on home sleep testing devices. Our research, as well as many others', has shown that home sleep testing is very reliable and in many cases is more likely to provide realistic information about your sleep than a one night sleep study done in a hospital or other type of facility.
Do I need to go to a sleep center?
No. In most cases, a home sleep test is sufficient. Lab sleep studies (Polysomnography or PSG for short) are useful for diagnosing non-sleep apnea sleep disorders such as narcolepsy; REM behavior disorders, and less common sleep disorders. The wait time to get a sleep study done in a hospital or sleep lab can be up to one year.
How many nights do I do the Home Sleep Test?
Our providers recommend doing home sleep testing for a single night, depending on the type of home sleep test. The home sleep testing device we use can do many nights of home sleep testing, and transmits the sleep data directly to BlueSleep for review and interpretation before your next visit.
Can I view my Home Sleep Test results?
Once the sleep test has been scored and interpreted, our providers will review the results of the test with you and explain the meaning of the test. Once that visit has occurred, a copy of your test will be available on your BlueSleep portal.
Learn more about Home Sleep Testing
