Night-to-Night Variability in Obstructive Sleep Apnea

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) usually is diagnosed according to the apnea–hypopnea index (AHI) on a single overnight sleep study. However, because AHI can vary from night to night for clinical and technical reasons, a single overnight assessment could underestimate or overestimate a person's average AHI.

In this study, researchers examined AHI variability in 62,000 people (mean age, 47) who were using a commercially available sleep monitoring device¹ that is placed under the mattress and can detect respiratory patterns and apneas. The device has been validated against polysomnography, with 88% sensitivity and 88% specificity for detecting moderate or severe OSA (J Clin Sleep Med 2021; 17:1217). Participants averaged 174 nights of monitoring …