Sleep Apnea
Diagnosis

If you think you might have sleep apnea, your doctor may be able to make a diagnosis based on the description of your symptoms. In addition, an overnight evaluation with a sleep study may be performed to assess the severity and cause of your sleep problems.

During an overnight sleep study at your home or in a sleep laboratory, your breathing and other body functions are monitored while you sleep.

In a sleep laboratory such as the UCSF Sleep Testing Laboratory, tests, called polysomnograms, monitor your heart, lung, brain activity and eye movement as well as your breathing patterns, blood oxygen levels and body movements as you sleep.

At home, a portable monitor can measure the amount of oxygen in your blood, volume of air flowing through your nose when you breathe, your heart rate and chest movements that could indicate effort exerted when breathing.