The New FAA medical thread reminded me of this, FWIW.
A while back, I thought I might have sleep apnea. SA clinics are expensive and a PITA unless you really think you might have a problem. I wasn't sure.
But to set my mind at ease... I did a bit of research, and there is an alternate test you can do at home. It is not a substitute for a real test, but in my case, it set my mind at ease. From Wiki:
Oximetry, which may be performed overnight in a patient's home, is an easier alternative to formal sleep study (polysomnography). In one study, normal overnight oximetry was very sensitive and so if normal, sleep apnea was unlikely. In addition, home oximetry may be equally effective in guiding prescription for automatically self-adjusting continuous positive airway pressure.
When you have true SA, your blood oxygen drops aggressively, and the buildup of CO2 in your system eventually says "Hey dummy, you're suffocating!" So pulse oxymetry (a blood oxy meter)
that records data can see if this happens at night.
Quote:
At sea level, a normal blood oxygen level (saturation) is usually 96 - 97%. Although there are no generally accepted classifications for severity of oxygen desaturation, reductions to not less than 90% usually are considered mild. Dips into the 80 - 89% range can be considered moderate, and those below 80% are severe.
You must buy one that records data to be read out later on a computer. These are about $80. They clamp onto a finger like you'd see in the movies. I first tested it, and saw 97% to 100% O2. I held my breath until I was in pain, and it barely dropped to about 95%.
Sleep apnea numbers are when you dip below 90%, to as low as 80% You wear the thing all night (I had to tape mine w/medical tape) and then download the results.
It was pretty fascinating. I saw my pulse dip to low 40's at 0300, and my O2 levels slowly dropped to 95 or so, but there were none of the jagged drops to the 80's. It told me I did not have SA. A bit of googling will reveal a number of sites that describe what true SA looks like using pulse oxymetry.
Interestingly, when I fly with it, it easily detects cabin altitude changes. At 8,000 feet cabin, my O2 level dipped significantly, yet of course I felt fine.
I hope this helps some one. If you think you may have SA, try this first. It is becoming more accepted as a diagnostic tool, and best of all, only you know.