SLEEP STUDIES EXPLAINED
LEVEL 1 - IN LAB
(MEDICARE REBATE)
Pros
- Comprehensive level of study for complex cases.
- You are monitored overnight by a sleep technician. Any technical issues are sorted out immediately.
- Medicare rebate available.
- Necessary for heavy equipment licenses.
Cons
- Not generally required for most people's straight forward sleep issues.
- You may have a lengthy wait time for the study, and likely need to see a sleep physician.
- You will need to spend a night sleeping in a lab environment.
LEVEL 2 - AT HOME
(MEDICARE REBATE)
Pros
- Performed at your home in your own bed, and records sleep patterns in your natural environment.
- Medicare rebate available if certain simple criteria are met.
- Provides a similar level of detail to a level 1 study.
- No lengthy wait time.
Cons
- Not monitored by a sleep technician while you are asleep.
- Will not pick up restless legs, epilepsy etc.
LEVEL 3 - AT HOME
(NO MEDICARE REBATE)
Pros
- No lengthy wait time.
- No GP referral required.
Cons
- No Medicare rebate available - you will be completely out of pocket.
- Not monitored by a sleep technician.
- Results in limited clinical information.
LEVEL 2 SLEEP STUDY - DO I QUALIFY FOR A MEDICARE REBATE?...
Take our questionnaire to see if you meet the criteria for a Medicare rebate on a Level 2 Sleep Study
MORE INFORMATION
LEVEL 1 SLEEP STUDY
This type of study is specifically used to diagnose sleep disorders where people have unusual muscle or brain activity in their sleep, such as people who experience periodic limb movement disorder or epilepsy.
Level 1 sleep studies are relevant to the sleep disorders of only approximately 10% of the population.
Please consult your GP for further information regarding a Level 1 Sleep Study.
LEVEL 2 SLEEP STUDY
A Level 2 sleep study provides a similar level of detail to a Level 1 study, but is usually used to diagnose sleep disordered breathing, such as sleep apnea and snoring.
You are usually set up with the testing device in person at a clinic, typically late in the day. Alternatively you can be instructed on how to set it up at home, and given simple instructions to follow to make that process easy.
You can then sleep in your own bed rather than in a lab or hospital, thus recording sleep patterns in your natural environment.
LEVEL 3 SLEEP STUDY
A level 3 sleep study is a vastly stripped-down version of a level 2 sleep study. It only measures breathing effort, pulse, and oxygen levels. Level 3 studies are often offered by non – sleep specialist sales outlets, eg pharmacies, or are used to check on the progress of a patient once they are on on a treatment therapy.
In cases where a level 1 or 2 sleep study cannot be performed, a level 3 sleep study has been used to diagnose sleep disordered breathing and snoring, which can lead to the trial of a CPAP machine, but without the certainty of a correct diagnosis that a Level 1 or 2 sleep study data provides.