Diagnosing sleep apnea at home

Portable monitors help identify a common thief of sleep and cardiovascular health.

Sleep apnea, a nighttime breathing pattern of held breaths and explosive snores, is bad for the body and the heart. Diagnosing this ailment, which is all too common in people with heart disease, usually requires you to spend a night in a hospital's sleep center hooked up to various recorders. Portable devices that can detect sleep apnea in the comfort of your own bed now offer a convenient alternative.