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. 2025 Apr;34(2):e14286.
doi: 10.1111/jsr.14286. Epub 2024 Jul 24.

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

Dimitri Ferretti  1   2   3 , Anna S Islind  2   4 , Kristín A Ólafsdóttir  2 , Sigridur Sigurdardottir  2 , Kamilla R Jóhannsdóttir  1   2 , Jan Hedner  3   5 , Ludger Grote  3   5 , Erna Sif Arnardottir  2   4   6
Affiliations

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

Dimitri Ferretti et al. J Sleep Res. 2025 Apr.

Abstract

In-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.

Keywords: multiple night sleep study; obstructive sleep apnea; self‐applied polysomnography.

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Conflict of interest statement

Dimitri Ferretti, Anna Sigríður Islind, Kristín Anna Ólafsdóttir, Sigríður Sigurðardóttir and Kamilla Rún Jóhannsdóttir declare no conflict of interest. Ludger Grote declares no conflict of interest directly linked to the content of the current study. Outside the current work, Ludger Grote has received personal fees for lecturing for Astra Zeneca, Lundbeck, and Resmed. Ludger Grote provided scientific advice to Onera (sleep diagnostic equipment). Ludger Grote is co‐owner of a licensed patent to Desitin (pharmacological treatment of sleep apnea). Jan Hedner reports fees for lectures from Somnomed and Desitin outside the current study. Erna Sif Arnardóttir reports honoraria from Nox Medical, ResMed, Jazz Pharmaceuticals, Linde Healthcare, Wink Sleep, Apnimed and Vistor, and she is a member of the Philips Medical Advisory Board, all unrelated to the contents of the paper.

Figures

FIGURE 1
FIGURE 1
Self‐applied polysomnography (PSG) as set in the study protocol.
FIGURE 2
FIGURE 2
Flowchart showing number of participants for each possible permutation of valid nights.
FIGURE 3
FIGURE 3
Bland–Altman plots of AHI (left) and Sleep Efficiency (right) for three consecutive nights of sleep study. AHI, apnea–hypopnea index.
FIGURE 4
FIGURE 4
AttrakDiff subscales scores for participants based on their number of valid polysomnography (PSG) nights. ATT, attractiveness; HQI, perceived hedonic quality‐identification; HQS, perceived hedonic quality‐stimulation; PQ, perceived pragmatic quality.
FIGURE 5
FIGURE 5
Time to set up the self‐applied polysomnography (PSG).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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