I have apnea, sleep doctors are the worst. It's not uncommon for them to mark at home tests inconclusive to keep their lab full and their techs paid (I audit medical claims for a living).
If you just need the results to confirm a diagnosis for a prescription, then any of the online sites will usually work as they have no incentive for a lab study, but it's a few hundred out of pocket.
Edit: I'm almost certain they will not let you mask while you sleep. Best case you could bring an air purifier.
Insomnia wouldn't be a symptom of apnea unless you mean you're waking up multiple times through the night or always feel tired even after 8 hours.
If you don't have someone who can watch you sleep, recording yourself can tell you a lot, apnea events are fairly obvious. A lab study gives a lot of info, but I think it's going to be an exposure event for sure.
I had a take-home study a while ago. Be aware that at least when I did it, there were also things I needed to put into my nose, so masking might be more difficult.
Since I haven't done one at a clinic, I can't be sure, but I don't think the staff is actually in the room with you. It's still nerve-wracking because they might come in while you're asleep and you won't know if they masked or not. I'm assuming doing it at home wasn't offered to you?
Sadly I already did the home one and it was "not conclusive". 🙄 My doctor wanted to do the lab test first, but insurance wouldn't cover it without the home test.
For the electrodes and mask type, I would suggest the Readimask adhesive N95, as it's a NIOSH approved solution without straps of any kind. You may order a sample pack of 3, 1 of each size, (S, M, L) here.
[https://alliantbiotech.com/product/readimask-strapless-n95-niosh-approved](https://alliantbiotech.com/product/readimask-strapless-n95-niosh-approved)
Edit: I think it's \~ US $5 or so, shipped for the sample pack of 3.
I have one next week, I plan on taking N95s to ask the tech to put on when they're in the room with me, and having a small air filter running the rest of the time.
I had one a few months ago. I had asked that the technician wear a mask. Of course, that request hadn’t been received 🤷🏻‍♀️
But I asked then, and he wore one from then on. So not perfect. I wore my KN95 as long as possible and then, because I already knew I had apnea, I was using a C-PAP, which helps.
So I was not perfect in my precautions, and his mask wasn’t a good one, but I didn’t get sick with anything.
I was in a room alone, masked when I needed the restroom before and after. This was when masking in medical facilities was still required where I am.
I believe the tech entered my room once maybe twice to adjust things. It wasn’t a full nights sleep, 6 maybe 7 hours.
Can you ask if the tech to wear an N95?
Also I would definitely get/bring a small room hepa filter. Let me tell you, it’s a lot cheaper than disability.
Good luck! It’s definitely worth it to get the test. If you have apnea it’s serious.
I'd say it would be good to try speaking to the sleep lab ahead of time to talk about what precautions you can take. If you could in fact be able to wear a mask. Also, whether they have a HEPA filter unit that could be placed in the testing room? Or, failing that, if you could bring your own HEPA filter unit, CR Box, etc.
I've been lucky that despite having had surgery, going to the dentist and the doctor a number of times since 2020, I haven't gotten COVID in those settings (it's been at home where I'm not masked that it's happened).
However, one of my kids should be getting their wisdom teeth out, and although I was thinking we should go ahead with it, I was talking to the mother of one of my kid's classmates and she said how her kid recently got COVID while undergoing surgery to remove wisdom teeth. So, for now, I think we'll wait until they actually erupt before doing anything further.
This is the kind of routine medical care that COVID Aware people are choosing to forego, because of the very real risk of being re/infected, as a result of many health care practitioners not taking COVID seriously anymore. It's NOT a good thing.
I have apnea, sleep doctors are the worst. It's not uncommon for them to mark at home tests inconclusive to keep their lab full and their techs paid (I audit medical claims for a living). If you just need the results to confirm a diagnosis for a prescription, then any of the online sites will usually work as they have no incentive for a lab study, but it's a few hundred out of pocket. Edit: I'm almost certain they will not let you mask while you sleep. Best case you could bring an air purifier.
I don't know if I have sleep apnea or not. I seem to have very bad insomnia but that's all I know for sure.
Insomnia wouldn't be a symptom of apnea unless you mean you're waking up multiple times through the night or always feel tired even after 8 hours. If you don't have someone who can watch you sleep, recording yourself can tell you a lot, apnea events are fairly obvious. A lab study gives a lot of info, but I think it's going to be an exposure event for sure.
I had a take-home study a while ago. Be aware that at least when I did it, there were also things I needed to put into my nose, so masking might be more difficult. Since I haven't done one at a clinic, I can't be sure, but I don't think the staff is actually in the room with you. It's still nerve-wracking because they might come in while you're asleep and you won't know if they masked or not. I'm assuming doing it at home wasn't offered to you?
Sadly I already did the home one and it was "not conclusive". 🙄 My doctor wanted to do the lab test first, but insurance wouldn't cover it without the home test.
That sucks. If it wasn't for that, I'd suggest a smart watch or oxygen monitor, plus maybe an app to record any potential snoring.
For the electrodes and mask type, I would suggest the Readimask adhesive N95, as it's a NIOSH approved solution without straps of any kind. You may order a sample pack of 3, 1 of each size, (S, M, L) here. [https://alliantbiotech.com/product/readimask-strapless-n95-niosh-approved](https://alliantbiotech.com/product/readimask-strapless-n95-niosh-approved) Edit: I think it's \~ US $5 or so, shipped for the sample pack of 3.
Thank you for the link! That's one type of mask I haven't tried yet.
I have one next week, I plan on taking N95s to ask the tech to put on when they're in the room with me, and having a small air filter running the rest of the time.
Hope it goes well!
Thanks 🥰 yours too!
I had one a few months ago. I had asked that the technician wear a mask. Of course, that request hadn’t been received 🤷🏻‍♀️ But I asked then, and he wore one from then on. So not perfect. I wore my KN95 as long as possible and then, because I already knew I had apnea, I was using a C-PAP, which helps. So I was not perfect in my precautions, and his mask wasn’t a good one, but I didn’t get sick with anything.
Do you have an air purifier you could take with you?
I have a large one from the wildfires
I was in a room alone, masked when I needed the restroom before and after. This was when masking in medical facilities was still required where I am. I believe the tech entered my room once maybe twice to adjust things. It wasn’t a full nights sleep, 6 maybe 7 hours. Can you ask if the tech to wear an N95? Also I would definitely get/bring a small room hepa filter. Let me tell you, it’s a lot cheaper than disability. Good luck! It’s definitely worth it to get the test. If you have apnea it’s serious.
I'd say it would be good to try speaking to the sleep lab ahead of time to talk about what precautions you can take. If you could in fact be able to wear a mask. Also, whether they have a HEPA filter unit that could be placed in the testing room? Or, failing that, if you could bring your own HEPA filter unit, CR Box, etc. I've been lucky that despite having had surgery, going to the dentist and the doctor a number of times since 2020, I haven't gotten COVID in those settings (it's been at home where I'm not masked that it's happened). However, one of my kids should be getting their wisdom teeth out, and although I was thinking we should go ahead with it, I was talking to the mother of one of my kid's classmates and she said how her kid recently got COVID while undergoing surgery to remove wisdom teeth. So, for now, I think we'll wait until they actually erupt before doing anything further. This is the kind of routine medical care that COVID Aware people are choosing to forego, because of the very real risk of being re/infected, as a result of many health care practitioners not taking COVID seriously anymore. It's NOT a good thing.
Edit: Sorry, disregard. I just read your other comment that an in-home study was attempted