Our Sleep Test Process
Instead of participating in a lengthy and expensive sleep study, a home sleep test is a reliable and widely accepted way to diagnose sleep apnea. ApneaMed provides fast and affordable home test units and diagnosis for sleep apnea. The ApneaMed home sleep test meets or exceeds all requirements of the Department of Transportation as well as sleep test industry standards for diagnosing sleep apnea (a necessary requirement for maintaining a commercial driving license). Learn more about our process below.
1: Ordering The Home Sleep Test Unit
Diagnosing and treating sleep apnea starts by ordering a home sleep test from ApneaMed.com.
- Select your preferred device and choose “Add To Cart”.
- Select “Check Out” to complete your order with a debit or credit card or “Paypal” to pay with your Paypal account.
- Paypal will redirect you to their check out page.
- If you are paying with a debit or credit card, input contact information and a shipping address.
- Select “Continue to Shipping Method”.
- Choose your shipping method. Choose between
- Standard Shipping
- Express 2-Day Shipping
- Overnight Shipping
- Select “Continue to Payment Method”.
- Input your credit/debit card information or select “Paypal”.
- Update your billing address if it is different than the shipping address previously entered.
- Select “Save my information for faster checkout” to make ordering replacement supplies simpler.
- Select “Complete Order”.
You will soon receive your home sleep test unit in the mail at which point you can move on to step 2 (performing the home sleep test).
2: Performing The Home Sleep Test
ApneaMed utilizes a variety of devices to test our patients for sleep apnea, all of which are FDA approved and meet DOT and industry standards. ApneaMed will send the device that is best suited for you, based on your demographics and individual needs. Please find instructions for your device below:
Setting up your Alice NightOne™ home sleep test unit
- Connect the chest belt.
- Buckle the Alice NightOne unit and blue belt around your chest.
- Alice NightOne will automatically power on.
- Please wait while the device takes a moment to start up.
- If the chest belt icon flashes yellow, tighten the belt around you.
- Use the adjustment straps to tighten the belt.
- The belt icon should now be solid green.
- Connect the cannula.
- The cannula icon will now be flashing yellow.
- Connect the cannula (looks like oxygen tubing) to Alice NightOne.
- Loop the cannula around your ears and under your nose.
- Adjust the slider to fit comfortably under your nose.
- Tape the cannula to your cheeks if necessary.
- The cannula icon should be solid green.
- Connect the finger probe.
- Connect the pulse oximeter probe to your finger.
- The cable will rest on top of your finger and on the back of your hand.
- Tape the wire to your hand if necessary.
- The finger probe icon should now be green.
- Once all of the sensors have been applied, the lights will turn to solid green.
- Over the next few minutes, all the lights will turn off gradually one by one to help you fall asleep.
- You can now go to bed. The lights will remain off, but the unit is recording.
In The Morning
- When you are done sleeping and out of bed, remove the sensors and the device.
- The device will turn itself off after 30 minutes.
- You can also press and hold the button for five seconds to turn the device off.
- You can check the quality of the data to make sure the test was successful by briefly pressing the button on the front of the device to make the Good Study Indicator appear.
- It will display green and/or yellow sections and may display one or more yellow sensors. You need at least one green section for a good study.
- If there is not at least one green section, keep the device and run another study on yourself the next night.
- Follow the instructions for returning your home sleep test unit below in step 3 (returning the home sleep test unit).
Setting up your WatchPAT ONE home sleep test unit
- Ensure you have the necessary items and information for set up.
- WatchPAT ONE
- Smartphone
- Internet access
- PIN (provided by physician)
- Download WatchPAT ONE app.
- Available through App Store and Google Play
- Open the app and accept all permission requests from the app
- Set up the WatchPAT ONE.
- Press the preview button on the WatchPAT One app to get step-by-step instructions
- Insert the provided battery into the back of the WatchPAT One device
- The indicator light will blink green to show that the device is activated
- Prepare your hand to wear the WatchPAT One.
- Don't wear any lotions or hand creams on the hand where the device will be placed
- Trim the fingernail of the finger that will have the sensor on it.
- Remove any nail polish or artificial nail where the finger sensor will be placed
- Take off all jewelry from your non-dominant hand
- Enter the 4-digit PIN provided to you into the WatchPAT app.
- Put on the snoring and body position sensor.
- Feed the sensor underneath your pajama sleeve
- Remove the sticker on the sensor and stick the check sensor just below your sternal notch
- Place medical tape over the chest sensor to ensure it stays in position
- Strap the WatchPAT ONE wrist device to your non-dominant hand.
- Ensure that it is tight enough to not move around, but not tight enough to constrict your hand
- Put on the heart rate monitoring finger sensor.
- Place your pointer finger into the sensor
- With the sensor on, push down firmly against a flat surface
- Pull out the tab that is in the finger sensor
- Start recording your sleep apnea test.
- Your smartphone must remain within 15 feet of where you are sleeping
- Plug in your phone so that the test won't cut off due to loss of battery
- Go to sleep
- Leave your phone plugged in, even if you have to get up at night. The recording will continue when you are back in range
In The Morning
- Turn off recording when you get up.
- Allow your phone to complete the sleep data transmission.
- You can take off the WatchPAT ONE device as the information transmits.
- Close the app once you receive the thank you message.
- Dispose of the device once you have finished sending the information.
3: Returning The Home Sleep Test Unit (Wesper Lab and Alice NightOne)
Using the packaging and return label provided, leave the boxed unit in your mailbox or at the nearest post office.
4: Reviewing The Results of Your Home Sleep Study
ApneaMed works with board-certified sleep physicians to evaluate the results of your home sleep study.
The home sleep test gathers specific data used to detect sleep apnea:
- blood oxygen saturation
- breathing patterns
- heart rhythms
- body position
- snoring
An ApneaMed sleep physician will review your data and write a complete interpretation with treatment recommendations. An ApneaMed Patient Care Representative will then contact you to go over the results of your test. Should you be diagnosed with sleep apnea, they will also discuss your treatment options with you. ApneaMed sleep physicians usually recommend treating sleep apnea with the use of an AutoPAP machine. Other treatments for obstructive sleep apnea include CPAP machines, dental appliances, weight loss, and surgeries.
5: Ordering The ApneaMed AutoPAP Machine And Replacement Parts
Positive Airway Pressure or PAP treatment involves breathing room air at a higher pressure through a mask that covers the nose and/or mouth. The air pressure works like a mechanical splint to hold the airway open during sleep, allowing the patient to breathe normally and stay asleep.
An AutoPAP machine delivers low-pressure air at first, making it easier to fall asleep. Then it gradually increases the pressure of the air coming through the nasal cannula as you enter deeper levels of sleep (the obstructed phases of sleep). This allows you to fall asleep more comfortably and stay asleep throughout the night.
Most patients are more familiar with a CPAP machine. These devices supply a steady pressure of air throughout use. While high pressured airflow is beneficial during the obstructed phase of your sleep, it is not necessary until then. Many patients find the CPAP machine makes falling asleep more difficult. This is why we recommend an AutoPAP machine for treating sleep apnea.
The ApneaMed AutoPAP machine can be ordered easiest through the ApneaMed website. If you have trouble with this process, you can order your device over the phone by calling 855-276-3263.
- Select “Add To Cart”.
- Select your mask (size and style).
- Select “Check Out” to complete your order with a debit or credit card or “Paypal” to pay with your Paypal account.
- Paypal will redirect you to their check out page.
- If you are paying with a debit or credit card, input contact information and a shipping address.
- If your sleep apnea was diagnosed with an ApneaMed home sleep test, you will have received a discount code for $100 off the purchase of your AutoPap device. This can be entered at any time before completing your check out.
- Select “Continue to Shipping Method”.
- Choose your shipping method. Choose between
- Standard Shipping
- Express 2-Day Shipping
- Overnight Shipping
- Select “Continue to Payment Method”.
- Input your credit/debit card information or select “Paypal”.
- Update your billing address if it is different than the shipping address previously entered.
- Select “Save my information for faster checkout” to make ordering replacement supplies simpler.
- Select “Complete Order”.
The ApneaMed AutoPAP machine has the added benefit of an attached heated humidifier for greater comfort. Continuous air pressure throughout the night can irritate sensitive airway tissue. The AutoPAP mitigates this problem with a built-in humidifier.
Ordering Replacement Parts For Your AutoPAP Machine
ApneaMed sleep physicians recommend patients adhere to a regular schedule for replacing integral components of the AutoPAP machine. This will help maintain the optimal functionality of your sleep apnea treatment device. ApneaMed offers discounted supply replacements for our patients once every six months, so you can maintain your health affordably. You will also receive an email notification when it’s time to order new supplies.
ApneaMed Professional Partners
The process to receive and distribute our home sleep test as a professional partner differs from the general public who are looking to test themselves for obstructive sleep apnea. There are three different partnership programs that interested professionals can choose from.
- Referral partnership - You can refer patients directly to ApneaMed, and they can order their own home sleep apnea test.
- In-office partnership - A home sleep apnea test unit will be in your office, and you can provide it to patients as needed.
- Mail-out partnership - If you suspect a patient requires obstructive sleep apnea testing, you can order an ApneaMed home sleep test, and we will mail it to your patient.
To learn more about the benefits of the ApneaMed partnership program, and to see if you are a candidate to partner with ApneaMed, check out our page Partner Programs With ApneaMed.
Treating Sleep Apnea To Meet DOT Compliance Standards
For patients that require proof of treatment for sleep apnea to meet licensing requirements by the Department of Transportation, you can access reports on your mobile device by pairing with your AutoPAP machine.