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Home Sleep Apnea Tests: Complete Guide for Belgium
Suspected sleep apnea? Diagnosis does not necessarily require a hospital night. Reliable tests can be done at home or with simple questionnaires. This guide explains all available options in Belgium.
How to get a sleep apnea test?
- Consult your GP: describe your symptoms (fatigue, snoring, sleepiness). Ask your sleep partner to note their nocturnal observations.
- Screening questionnaires: your doctor may use ESS, STOP-BANG or Berlin questionnaire to assess your apnea risk.
- Specialist referral: if risk is high, your GP refers you to a pulmonologist or sleep specialist who prescribes the appropriate sleep test.
- Sleep study: ambulatory polygraphy at home or polysomnography in a sleep center, depending on your profile.
Ambulatory ventilatory polygraphy (home test)
The ambulatory polygraphy is the most commonly prescribed sleep apnea screening test in Belgium. It is done at home, in your own bed. The portable device records overnight: airflow (nasal cannula), thoracic and abdominal movements (bands), SpO2 (finger oximeter), heart rate, and sleep position.
- Advantages: comfort of your own bed, quick results, less expensive than PSG, reimbursed by Belgian health insurance
- Limitations: fewer parameters than PSG (no EEG), may slightly underestimate AHI, not suitable for complex cases
Polysomnography (PSG) in a sleep center
Polysomnography is the gold-standard sleep study. Performed overnight in an accredited sleep center under technician supervision. In addition to polygraphy parameters, it records: EEG (brain activity and sleep stages), EOG (eye movements), EMG (muscle activity), posture, and snoring microphone.
Overnight oximetry
Overnight oximetry is even simpler: you only wear a finger oximeter overnight, continuously recording SpO2 and heart rate. Useful as a first-level screening for high-risk patients, but alone it is not sufficient to diagnose sleep apnea - it must be followed by polygraphy or PSG.
Screening questionnaires
Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS)
8 daily situations measuring daytime sleepiness. Score 0-24. Score ≥ 11: excessive sleepiness requiring medical evaluation. Score ≥ 16: severe sleepiness requiring urgent consultation.
STOP-BANG questionnaire
8 Yes/No questions: Snoring, Tired, Observed apneas, Pressure (hypertension), BMI > 35, Age > 50, Neck > 40 cm, Gender male. Score ≥ 3: intermediate risk. Score ≥ 5: high risk.
Berlin questionnaire
3 categories (snoring, sleepiness/fatigue, hypertension/BMI). High risk in ≥ 2 categories indicates significant apnea risk. Sensitivity ~86%.
What to do after results?
If your AHI/IAHO confirms moderate to severe sleep apnea (≥ 15/hour), your doctor will propose treatment. The gold-standard treatment is CPAP.
Browse our Auto CPAP devices and CPAP masks.
Frequently asked questions about home sleep apnoea testing
After prescription by your doctor, the sleep centre or provider gives you a small portable device. You install it yourself at bedtime: a nasal cannula to measure airflow, two chest and abdominal bands for respiratory movements, and a finger oximeter for oxygen saturation. You then sleep normally in your own bed. The next morning you return the device. Analysis takes a few days and results are shared during a follow-up consultation.
For most obstructive apnoea cases, yes. Ambulatory polygraphy reliably detects moderate to severe apnoea and is the first-line exam recommended by learned societies. It has two limitations: it does not measure EEG (so no sleep stages) and may slightly underestimate AHI by dividing events by total recording time rather than actual sleep time. Polysomnography remains recommended for complex or paediatric cases.
In Belgium, ambulatory polygraphy is largely reimbursed by mutual insurance. The remaining out-of-pocket cost varies based on your status (regular insured or BIM/OMNIO) and whether the prescription comes from a GP or specialist. Expect generally between 30 and 80 EUR remaining cost. Verify exact conditions with your mutual fund before prescription.
Yes, your GP can prescribe an ambulatory respiratory polygraph as a first-line exam. This is the recommended pathway for moderate-risk patients. For more complex cases - suspected central apnoea, severe respiratory or cardiac comorbidity, suspected other sleep disorders - your GP will refer you to a pulmonologist or sleep specialist.
No. These questionnaires are screening tools, not diagnostic instruments. They help assess your risk level and decide whether to prescribe a sleep study, but cannot confirm or rule out apnoea. A STOP-BANG of 5/8 for example indicates high risk but must always be followed by polygraphy or polysomnography to establish the diagnosis. See our screening tests page.
A single night is sufficient in the vast majority of cases. The ambulatory polygraph records one complete night and is generally representative of your usual sleep. If the first night is judged technically insufficient (signal loss, very short sleep, cannula problem), a second night may be offered. Some centres prescribe two or three nights upfront for atypical patients, but this remains the exception.
The sleep centre or provider technician downloads the device data and analyses it. A doctor then validates the interpretation and calculates your AHI. The report is sent to your prescribing doctor, generally within 1 to 3 weeks. You will be invited to a feedback consultation during which your doctor explains the results, their meaning and therapeutic options if apnoea is confirmed.