How to Get a CPAP Machine Without a Sleep Study

You’re having trouble sleeping and think it might be sleep apnea. Unfortunately, you can’t just go out to the store and pick up a CPAP machine and take care of it yourself. You've heard that you need a sleep study that provides detailed information on how you sleep and how your airway is being blocked. But the time, hassle, and cost of a sleep study is not something you can do. You wonder what other options might be available and if you could get a CPAP machine without a sleep study.

The good news is you can avoid scheduling a sleep study in a lab that takes time away from home and makes the process easier. By purchasing a home sleep test, you can get a CPAP machine without a sleep study. 

You Need a Prescription

A CPAP, or Continuous Positive Airway Pressure machine, is a Class II medical device and, because of this, you must have a prescription in order to purchase a machine. Because not all sleep apnea is the same and its level of severity differs from person to person, a prescription from a licensed physician helps to determine what type of machine works best for your conditions, as well as what your pressure settings must be in order to achieve optional treatment.

Traditional Sleep Studies

Traditional sleep studies take place in a lab and are booked months in advance. You arrive at the sleep clinic where technicians hook you up to wires and diagnostic machines and you spend the night sleeping there while they monitor your sleep. If you have conditions such as moderate-to-severe pulmonary disease, congestive heart failure, are under the age of 18, or have a neuromuscular disease, such as ALS, it is advised that you perform a study in a sleep center.

While in-lab sleep studies are very detailed, accurate and comprehensive, for many this process is uncomfortable and is often a deterrent from receiving the testing they need.

However, this is not your only choice and you can get a CPAP machine without a traditional sleep study.

A Sleep Study in the Comfort of Your Own Bed

Home sleep studies provide the diagnostic testing performed during a traditional sleep study all in the comfort of your own home. With a home sleep test, you receive the equipment in the mail, follow the set-up instructions for applying the sensors and equipment, then fall asleep in your bed as you normally would. When you wake in the morning, simply put the test in the provided box and mail it back. A board certified sleep physician reviews the results and, if needed, prescribes your CPAP machine.

Home sleep testing offers many benefits. You don’t have to wait for in-lab test scheduling and can often get your testing and results completed before you would have even been seen in the lab. You don’t have to spend a night in a strange bed hooked up to multiple machines while people watch you sleep. All the testing happens in the comfort of your home, on your time.

Getting Your CPAP from Home

The simple answer for "how to get a CPAP machine without a sleep study?" is to buy an at-home sleep study kit. Once your results are in, you will have your prescription and can choose your machine.