A sleep study can help identify what happens while you sleep and guide your doctor towards the most appropriate treatment. Here is how our two sleep tests differ.
Better Sleep Starts with Understanding Your Sleep Health
Do you snore loudly, wake up gasping, experience frequent nighttime awakenings, or feel tired even after spending enough hours in bed?
These symptoms may indicate an underlying sleep disorder. However, not all sleep problems are caused by sleep apnea. Some may be related to abnormal sleep patterns, neurological conditions, or other disturbances that affect the quality of your sleep.
A sleep study can help identify what happens while you sleep and guide your doctor towards the most appropriate treatment. At BIMC Hospital Nusa Dua, we offer two types of sleep tests:
- Full Overnight Sleep Study (Polysomnography/PSG), a comprehensive sleep examination performed in our dedicated hospital sleep room.
- Home Sleep Apnea Test (HSAT), a portable examination that can be performed in the comfort of your own home or at our hospital.
Both tests provide valuable information about your sleep, but they are designed to answer different clinical questions. Understanding the differences can help you choose the most appropriate test with guidance from our medical team.
Full Overnight Sleep Study (Polysomnography/PSG)
The Full Overnight Sleep Study, also known as Polysomnography (PSG), is a comprehensive examination that monitors different body functions while you sleep. Unlike simpler sleep tests that mainly focus on breathing, PSG provides detailed information about your brain activity, sleep stages, breathing patterns, oxygen levels, heart activity and body movements.
You will spend one night in our dedicated hospital sleep room, where a trained sleep technician will attach small, painless sensors to your head, face, chest and legs. These sensors continuously record your body’s activity throughout the night. Depending on the clinical indication and available equipment, additional video monitoring may also be used to evaluate unusual sleep behaviours.
A comprehensive PSG can help investigate several sleep disorders, including:
- Sleep apnea, both obstructive (related to the upper airway) and central (related to the brain’s control of breathing)
- Sleep-related breathing disorders
- Repeated involuntary movement of the legs or body
- Unusual sleep behaviour, such as sleepwalking or acting out dreams
- Other complex sleep problems that need a full check
Home Sleep Apnea Test (HSAT)
The Home Sleep Apnea Test (HSAT) is a simplified, portable examination designed primarily to detect obstructive sleep apnea in selected individuals.
Unlike a full PSG, this examination does not require brainwave monitoring or the full range of hospital-based sleep sensors. Our team will provide a portable monitoring device and explain how to use it beforehand. You can then wear the device while sleeping at home or in our hospital, allowing you to undergo the test in a familiar and comfortable environment.
The device records airflow and breathing patterns, respiratory effort, blood oxygen saturation and heart rate. It is a good fit for individuals with classic sleep apnea symptoms, such as habitual loud snoring, choking or gasping during sleep, breathing pauses noticed by a sleeping partner, excessive daytime sleepiness or morning headaches.
However, HSAT is not suitable for every patient or every type of sleep disorder. A doctor’s assessment is important to determine whether this test is appropriate.
The differences at a glance
- Where — Full sleep study: one night in our hospital sleep room. Home test: at home in your own bed, or at our hospital.
- Supervision — Full sleep study: a trained sleep technician fits the sensors. Home test: you wear a portable device after our team shows you how.
- What it records — Full sleep study: brain activity, sleep stages, eye movements, muscle and body movement, breathing, oxygen, heart rate and rhythm. Home test: breathing pauses, oxygen drops, breathing pattern and related heart rate changes.
- What it finds — Full sleep study: obstructive and central sleep apnea, other breathing problems, leg and body movements, sleepwalking and dream enactment, complex sleep disorders. Home test: mainly obstructive sleep apnea (OSA).
- Sleep stages and quality — Full sleep study: yes, the neurologist can see how well you actually sleep. Home test: no.
- Best for — Full sleep study: complex or unexplained sleep problems, unusual movements or behaviour, or when a simpler test was inconclusive. Home test: selected individuals with suspected OSA.
- Comfort and cost — Full sleep study: an overnight hospital stay with breakfast included. Home test: portable and flexible.
Why can’t a Home Sleep Apnea Test always replace a Full Sleep Study?
HSAT is convenient, but it has certain limitations. The most important difference is that HSAT does not record brain activity (EEG). Therefore, it cannot directly determine when you are actually asleep, identify your sleep stages or measure brain arousals in the same way as a full PSG.
Additionally, HSAT cannot comprehensively investigate other sleep disorders, such as periodic limb movements, parasomnias or unexplained sleep fragmentation.
If your HSAT result comes back negative despite persistent symptoms suggesting sleep apnea, is inconclusive or unclear, or is technically inadequate because of insufficient recording quality, your doctor may recommend a Full Overnight Sleep Study (PSG) to obtain more comprehensive information.
How we choose the right test for you
You do not need to work this out on your own. Our doctor first assesses your symptoms and medical history, then recommends the sleep study that fits. Our aim is simple: the right test, an accurate diagnosis, and the most suitable treatment for better sleep and better health.
Both packages include a medical assessment, analysis of your data by the doctor, and a sleep study report with medical recommendations.
Not sure which sleep test you need?
Email our Concierge team at concierge@bimcbali.com to book a consultation with our neurologist or to ask which sleep study suits you. We will help you arrange everything, from your first assessment to your results.
This article is general information and does not replace a medical consultation.