Snoring is not only annoying to your partner but it could also be a sign of something more serious. Now a new app called SleepCheck can examine your snoring and check if you are at risk of sleep apnoea.
Developed by ResApp Health, the SleepCheck is available now for iPhone users for $7.99. It is coming soon for Android users.
Obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) is a serious medical condition which sees the intermittent partial or complete instruction of the upper airway.
In some cases this can happen up to 30 times an hour per hour all night.
As a result there is daytime tiredness, reduced productivity as well as other effects like an impaired immune system which can lead to other medical conditions like heart disease and stroke.
It affects more than 775,000 Australians every year.
Nearly one in five Australians may be at risk of OSA yet 80 per cent of adults suffering from severe or moderate sleep apnoea are undiagnosed.
The SleepCheck app can provide a screening test to see if you are in the at risk category.
Users enter their age, gender and neck size to help make a more accurate analysis.
It uses the iPhone’s microphone to record and analyse an adult’s breathing and snoring patterns overnight.
While the device is recording overnight, the app requires the person to sleep alone for a more accurate recording.
Users also need to make sure there are no pets in the room, and that TVs and music is turned off.
Ideally the iPhone will rest on the bedside table and connected to a charger and Do Not Disturb is engaged so you won’t receive any calls or notifications.
When the user wakes they must press and hold the Stop button to complete the recording and begin the analysis which takes between 20 and 60 seconds before providing a result.
The SleepCheck app uses clinically validated algorithms to examine the recording before letting the user know if their snoring is a sign of sleep apnoea.
A user’s risk will be graded from low to very high.
In the event of medium, high or very high, the app will also recommend a doctor for a more thorough assessment and treatment.
SleepCheck is available on iOS through the App Store for $7.99 and can be used an unlimited amount of times.
