How sleep apnea is diagnosed: sleep studies and home tests
Sleep apnea is diagnosed with a sleep test ordered by a clinician. The standard test is an overnight sleep study (polysomnography), and for many adults a home sleep apnea test is also an option [1]. Your doctor decides which, based on your symptoms and health.
Last reviewed 24 September 2026. General information from the Snorezy team, not medical advice.
Polysomnography: the sleep study
A polysomnogram is an overnight study, usually in a sleep centre, that records breathing, blood oxygen, heart rhythm, brain activity, eye and muscle movements while you sleep. It's the standard test for diagnosing obstructive sleep apnea in adults [1].
Home sleep apnea tests
A home test is a smaller kit you wear in your own bed, usually measuring breathing, airflow and oxygen. For uncomplicated adults at increased risk of moderate to severe OSA, a home test or a lab study are both options [1].
A lab study is preferred for people with significant heart or lung disease, possible respiratory muscle weakness from a neuromuscular condition, breathing too little when awake or suspected during sleep, chronic opioid use, a history of stroke, or severe insomnia [1].
What AHI means
The result is usually expressed as the apnea-hypopnea index (AHI): the average number of times an hour that breathing stops or becomes very shallow during sleep. Five or more events an hour is where mild sleep apnea starts, and 15 or more is described as moderate to severe [2].
An AHI comes from a clinical test. No app produces one, Snorezy included.
Preparing for the appointment
It helps to bring:
- how long you've had symptoms, and how often;
- what a partner or family member has noticed at night;
- how sleepy you feel in the day, and whether it affects driving or work;
- your medications and alcohol intake;
- any recordings of the nights in question.
In Snorezy
Recordings for the appointment
A doctor can't hear your night. You can bring it. Snorezy keeps breathing-related moments as clips with the minute before them, dated and timed, alongside whatever Apple Health measured that night, each labelled with its source. It's context for a conversation, not a test result.
Questions
Can I test for sleep apnea at home?
With a home sleep apnea test ordered by a clinician, yes, for many adults [1]. A consumer app or wearable isn't a diagnostic test.
What is a normal AHI?
Fewer than five events an hour is generally considered normal in adults; five or more is where a diagnosis of sleep apnea starts [2]. Your doctor interprets it alongside your symptoms.
Sources
- 1Kapur VK et al. Clinical Practice Guideline for Diagnostic Testing for Adult Obstructive Sleep Apnea: An American Academy of Sleep Medicine Clinical Practice Guideline. J Clin Sleep Med. 2017;13(3):479-504.
- 2Benjafield AV et al. Estimation of the global prevalence and burden of obstructive sleep apnoea: a literature-based analysis. Lancet Respir Med. 2019;7(8):687-698.A modelled estimate from 17 studies in 16 countries, funded by ResMed, which makes CPAP machines.