What are the conditions you can’t diagnose with a home sleep study

While home sleep studies are a useful tool for diagnosing certain sleep disorders, there are certain conditions that cannot be diagnosed with a home sleep study. These include:

1. Complex sleep apnea: Complex sleep apnea is a type of sleep apnea that occurs when a patient has both obstructive sleep apnea and central sleep apnea. This condition requires more comprehensive monitoring and cannot be accurately diagnosed with a home sleep study.
2. Narcolepsy: Narcolepsy is a neurological disorder that affects a person’s ability to regulate sleep-wake cycles. It is characterized by excessive daytime sleepiness and sudden, uncontrollable episodes of sleep. Narcolepsy cannot be accurately diagnosed with a home sleep study.
3. Insomnia: Insomnia is a sleep disorder characterized by difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep. While a home sleep study can monitor a patient’s sleep quality, it cannot diagnose the underlying causes of insomnia, such as anxiety or depression.
4. Periodic limb movement disorder: Periodic limb movement disorder is a sleep disorder characterized by repetitive, involuntary movements of the legs or arms during sleep. While a home sleep study can monitor a patient’s leg movements during sleep, it cannot diagnose periodic limb movement disorder or other movement disorders.

In general, home sleep studies are best suited for diagnosing obstructive sleep apnea and other respiratory-related sleep disorders. For other sleep disorders or more complex cases, an in-lab sleep study may be necessary for a comprehensive diagnosis. A sleep specialist can help determine which type of sleep study is appropriate for the patient.