At-Home Sleep Apnea Test Cuts Diagnosis Time, Maintains Accuracy, Landmark Study Finds
Recent research published in The Lancet Regional Health – Europe demonstrates that an at-home sleep test developed by Sunrise Group significantly reduces the time to a sleep apnea diagnosis compared to traditional polysomnography (PSG), even as maintaining strong clinical outcomes.
The Challenge of Sleep Apnea Diagnosis
Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) affects over 900 million people worldwide 1, posing a major global health challenge. Traditional diagnosis relies on polysomnography (PSG), often requiring lengthy wait times and access to specialized sleep laboratories.
The SUNSAS Study: A New Approach
The SUNSAS clinical study, the largest randomized controlled trial to date evaluating an at-home diagnostic pathway for OSA, compared Sunrise’s technology to PSG. The study, supported by the French Ministry of Health, enrolled 849 adults across 18 sleep centers in France between 2021 and 2024 2. Participants were randomly assigned to either traditional PSG or the Sunrise at-home sleep test.
How the Sunrise Test Works
Sunrise offers an alternative to traditional sleep testing with a single, ultra-light chin-worn sensor for at-home leverage 3. The device captures mandibular jaw movements – a clinically validated biosignal for sleep assessment – and uses AI-supported algorithms to generate a comprehensive sleep report for clinician review 4.
Key Findings from the SUNSAS Trial
- Faster Diagnosis: Participants using the Sunrise test received a diagnosis in just 15 days, compared to over 106 days with PSG – a 7-fold acceleration 3.
- Faster Treatment: Time to treatment was reduced from 124 days to 50 days with Sunrise, allowing patients to start therapy more than twice as fast 3.
- Comparable Outcomes: The Sunrise test was as effective as PSG in reducing daytime sleepiness three months after diagnosis. Earlier treatment initiation in the Sunrise group was associated with greater improvements in daytime sleepiness, quality of life, and work productivity 3.
Expert Perspectives
“Publication in The Lancet Regional Health – Europe highlights the scientific rigor and reliability of the study findings,” said Professor Jean-Louis Pépin, coordinating investigator of SUNSAS and Professor of Sleep Medicine at the Grenoble Alpes University 2. “By reducing waiting times to diagnosis and treatment without compromising patient outcomes, the Sunrise diagnostic pathway may offer a pragmatic solution to support access to timely management in routine clinical practice, an crucial step forward for sleep medicine.”
Laurent Martinot, Co-Founder and CEO of Sunrise Group, emphasized the study’s importance for broader adoption: “SUNSAS provides pivotal data needed to guide reimbursement discussions and support broader integration of Sunrise into routine clinical practice internationally.”
Looking Ahead
Sunrise Group, founded in 2015, is expanding its clinical services through Dreem Health, a U.S.-based virtual sleep clinic, and investing in next-generation sleep technology. The company aims to produce sleep care faster, easier, and more accessible globally 2.
Related reading