Feasibility and usability of three consecutive nights with self‐applied, home polysomnography

Abstract

SummaryIn‐laboratory polysomnography, the gold‐standard for diagnosing sleep disorders, is resource‐demanding and not conducive to multiple night evaluations. Ambulatory polysomnography, especially when self‐applied, could be a viable alternative. This study aimed to assess the feasibility and reliability of self‐applied polysomnography over three consecutive nights in untrained participants, assessing: technical success rate; comparing sleep diagnostic variables from single and multiple nights; and evaluating participants' subjective experience. Data were collected from 78 participants (55.1% females) invited to test a self‐applicable polysomnography device for three consecutive nights at home. The technical success rate for valid sleep recordings was 82.5% out of 234 planned study nights, with 87.2% of participants obtaining at least two valid nights. Misclassification of obstructive sleep apnea severity was higher in participants with mild OSA (21.4%) compared with those with moderate‐to‐severe obstructive sleep apnea or no obstructive sleep apnea. Sleep efficiency and wake after sleep onset showed improvement from Night 1 to Night 3 (p < 0.001), and the mean polysomnography set‐up time decreased significantly over this period. Participants reported moderate‐to‐high satisfaction with the device (System Usability Scale score 71.2 ± 12.4). The findings suggest that self‐applied polysomnography is a feasible diagnostic method for untrained individuals at risk for sleep disorders, and that multiple night assessments can improve diagnostic precision for mild obstructive sleep apnea cases.