Sleep studies are undoubtedly uncomfortable. Dozens of wires attached to multiple locations across the head, face, neck, and body; a strange bed in a strange room with new environmental sounds; the knowledge that a technician is watching you sleep -- it's enough to give anyone temporary insomnia.

Those aren't exactly the reasons that Medicare is pushing at-home testing for sleep apnea. Instead, they cite the fact that lab testing is expensive and sometimes inaccessible. Home testing is around $500, compared to $1500 in a sleep clinic, and patients get to sleep in their own beds.

But the idea has its critics. At-home testing for sleep apnea can diagnose severe cases of the condition, but can't give patients the reassurance of a clean bill of health, because it doesn't test for any other sleep disorders. Sleep experts acknowledge that home testing may have its place for certain patients, but are reluctant to recommend it for everyone. Still, if you think you might have sleep apnea and don't have access to a sleep clinic evaluation, it might be worth mentioning to your doc.