When Your Sleep Apnea App Flags a Problem: What to Do Next
Dr. Martin Hopp MD, ENT
Sleep apps, fitness trackers, and smartphone technology are becoming increasingly integrated into healthcare, expanding access and offering convenient ways to monitor health metrics and your sleep cycle from the comfort of your home. One exciting development in this space is the recent FDA clearance of both the Apple Watch and the Samsung Galaxy Watch sleep apnea detection features.
These hardware developments and low-cost or free "snoring apps" are great tools for raising awareness about sleep apnea and snoring, allowing early screening for potential issues without involving a sleep specialist. But what happens when your app flags a problem?
While these smartphone apps can be eye-opening, they aren’t designed to diagnose sleep apnea and aren't accepted by insurance companies when seeking reimbursement for CPAP machines, oral device mouthguard, and any other sleep apnea treatment. If your app suggests a potential issue, take things seriously: while knowledge is half the battle, prescription treatment isn't possible without a clinical sleep study.
The good news is that finding a low-cost, at-home sleep test to confirm or rule out sleep apnea is easy.
Understanding Sleep Apnea and Sleep Apnea Apps
Sleep apnea is a serious sleep disorder that affects millions of people worldwide. It is characterized by pauses in breathing or shallow breathing at night during sleep, which can lead to symptoms such as poor sleep quality, daytime fatigue, difficulty concentrating, morning headaches, sex life issues, weight gain, and other health problems and risks.
Sleep apnea apps provide feedback and tips to help individuals monitor and stay motivated to manage their disease. Ideally, they flag potential risks, offer suggestions, provide relevant information, and set reminders to seek treatment. But, it’s essential to understand the limitations and capabilities of these apps.
The apps receive data to track sleep patterns, including duration, quality, and stages of sleep. Some apps can also detect sleep apnea events, such as pauses in breathing or shallow breathing, and provide insights into sleep quality and treatment effectiveness. However, it’s crucial to note that these apps are not a replacement for a doctor’s diagnosis or a healthcare provider's advice and cannot treat the underlying disease.
How Sleep Apnea Apps Work
Smartphone apps equipped with sleep apnea detection capabilities analyze factors like breathing patterns, snoring, waking vs asleep time, movement, blood oxygen levels, and heart rate. These apps can track the apnea hypopnea index (AHI). The Apple Watch's recently FDA-cleared sleep apnea detection feature is a prime example. It tracks sleep data by using sensors in the smartwatch, enabling the system to predict sleep disruptions such snoring or possible apnea events. Mobile devices such as the iPhone and Android phones play a crucial role in tracking this data.
Other downloaded apps rely on audio data recording when the user is asleep at night. These mobile apps monitor and detect snoring, which is often indicative of clinical sleep apnea.
However, it’s essential to understand that mobile apps are screening tools, not diagnostic tools. They are great at raising potential risks, but they can’t definitively diagnose or rule out the disease and struggle to differentiate between mild and severe sleep apnea.
Furthermore, insurers will not accept an app-based diagnosis. Instead, they require the patient to take an in-person or at-home sleep study before reimbursing for any CPAP machine, medicine, or other therapy device or system such as a Mandibular Advancement Device (MAD, or mouthguard).
Limitations of Sleep Apnea Apps
While sleep apnea apps can be a useful tool for monitoring and managing sleep apnea, they have several limitations. Firstly, these apps are not as accurate as traditional sleep studies, such as polysomnography (PSG) or clinically approved at-home sleep studies. Secondly, apps may not be able to detect all types of sleep apnea, such as central or mixed sleep apnea. Finally, these sleep apps may not be able to provide a comprehensive picture of sleep quality, as they may not track other important sleep parameters, such as sleep stage or sleep fragmentation.
Why You Still Need a Professional Sleep Test
Sleep apnea diagnosis involves measuring multiple concurrent physiological factors such as oxygen levels, heart rate, and breathing pauses during sleep. Smartphone apps cannot yet do this with the required accuracy for clinical diagnosis.
A true sleep test (aka sleep study), whether done at a sleep clinic or with an at-home sleep test, will provide a detailed analysis of your sleep patterns and sleep health. The test can either rule out or confirm the presence of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), enabling a medical professional to prescribe an appropriate treatment.
Common treatment options for OSA include continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy, as well as sleep "mouth guards" known as Mandibular Advancement Devices or MADs. These oral devices are prescribed to treat both sleep apnea and snoring.
Sleep therapy, a healthy diet, and routine exercise are crucial in managing sleep apnea.
Convenient At-Home Sleep Testing
Historically, clinical sleep testing meant booking an in-lab sleep study (often months in advance), an inconvenient and oftentimes expensive proposition. Fortunately, recent technology advancements mean that sleep tests can now be completed from the comfort of your own home rather than requiring an overnight stay in a sterile and potentially uninviting sleep clinic.
An at-home sleep test is easy to use, and typically involves a small sensor attached to the finger, wrist, forhead or chest, depending on the particular device in question. Once completed, a physician analyzes the results and provides a diagnosis, either ruling out or confirming the presence of OSA.
If you have received concerning results from your smartphone app, getting an at-home sleep test is a convenient and low-cost next step to understanding your options. Daybreak not only provides FDA-cleared at-home sleep tests, but also a convenient & effective treatment option, the Daybreak Device, a custom-made mandibular advancement device (MAD).
The Bottom Line
Sleep apnea detection apps and new hardware such as the Apple Watch and Android devices like the Samsung Galaxy Watch are fantastic tools for raising awareness and encouraging people to take their sleep health seriously. They are part of a growing trend of prioritizing sleep health.
However, if your app flags a potential problem, following up with a professional sleep test is crucial. With Daybreak’s at-home sleep testing and treatment solutions, you can get an accurate diagnosis and start the treatment you need to improve your sleep and overall health. Professional diagnosis and treatment can help you achieve the best sleep and your best self.
Don’t rely solely on your smartphone alone. Take the next step toward better sleep and health with a professional sleep test. With the availability of convenient at-home testing, getting an official diagnosis has never been easier.