Sleep medicine · Home polygraphy
Nox T3 sleep test, home polygraphy for OSA and sleep-disordered breathing.
The Nox T3 is a portable home sleep test that records respiration, oxygen saturation, snoring and body position overnight — an AASM Type III device that diagnoses moderate-severe obstructive sleep apnoea in your own bed.
Reviewed by Pulse Atlas Editorial Board, · 5 min read · Last reviewed 2026-07-30 · Next review 2027-07-30
Key facts
The Nox T3 at a glance.
A short orientation to what the device is, what it measures and where it fits in the diagnostic pathway.
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Type III home sleep apnoea test
An AASM-classified Type III device for diagnosing sleep-disordered breathing outside the sleep lab.
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Multi-channel recording
Records respiration, SpO₂, snoring and body position through the night.
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One night in your own bed
Recorded overnight at home — no hospital stay, no wired lab environment.
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Best for high pre-test probability
Ideal when clinical suspicion of obstructive sleep apnoea is already high.
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Complements in-lab PSG
Where results are inconclusive or central events are suspected, in-lab polysomnography follows.
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Same-week private pathway
Consult, device, analysis and physician-signed report inside a working week.
How the diagnosis works
From consultation to report — what happens, in order.
Seven steps from your first sleep-physician consultation to a signed report and onward pathway.
Phase 1 · Before your study
Consult and device dispatch
Phase 2 · Recording night
One night at home
Phase 3 · After
Analysis and report
- 01
Before
Sleep physician consultation
A consultant sleep physician takes the history, Epworth score and risk factors to decide the right study.
- 02
Before
Device provided
The Nox T3 is issued with clear written and video instructions — collected in person or couriered.
- 03
Recording
Sensors fitted at home
You fit the nasal cannula, chest and abdominal effort belts, SpO₂ probe and position sensor at bedtime.
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Recording
One night’s recording
Sleep normally in your own bed. The device records continuously for the whole night.
- 05
Recording
Return device
Return the recorder next morning — in person or via prepaid courier.
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After
Automated analysis + physician review
Raw data is scored by software and independently reviewed by the sleep physician.
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After
Report and CPAP pathway
Written report with AHI, ODI and severity — with onward CPAP or MAD pathway if indicated.
Typical end-to-end: 3–7 days. Urgent cases: same week.
What it shows
The signals the Nox T3 records overnight.
Eight channels of data, from the headline AHI to the underlying airflow and effort traces that let the physician stage severity.
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AHI (apnoea-hypopnoea index)
The core metric — events per hour of sleep — defining OSA severity.
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Oxygen desaturation index
How often SpO₂ drops significantly overnight, a marker of hypoxic burden.
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Snoring pattern
Duration, intensity and clustering of snoring across the night.
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Body-position dependency
Whether events cluster on the back — flagging positional OSA.
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Overnight SpO₂ profile
Continuous oximetry trace, mean and minimum saturation, time below 90%.
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Nasal airflow
Airflow signal used to identify apnoeas and hypopnoeas.
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Chest / abdomen effort
Distinguishes obstructive events from central events by respiratory effort.
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Red flag: severe OSA + sleepiness — urgent CPAP pathway
AHI > 30 with significant daytime sleepiness is a same-week CPAP conversation.
Treatment options
What follows a positive study.
The right treatment depends on severity, symptoms and comorbidities — from lifestyle through CPAP to surgical routes.
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Lifestyle advice
Weight, alcohol, sleep hygiene and supine avoidance — the foundation before any device.
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Positional therapy
Devices and techniques to discourage supine sleep in position-dependent OSA.
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CPAP for moderate-severe OSA
Continuous positive airway pressure — first-line for moderate to severe disease.
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Mandibular advancement device
Custom-fitted oral appliance for mild to moderate OSA or CPAP-intolerant patients.
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ENT referral for surgical options
Assessment for uvulopalatopharyngoplasty, tonsillectomy or nasal surgery where indicated.
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Bariatric surgery discussion
For obesity-driven OSA, a bariatric pathway can materially change disease course.
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Repeat study post-treatment
A follow-up polygraphy on treatment confirms adequate control.
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DVLA notification if applicable
Excessive sleepiness that affects driving must be declared under DVLA rules.
Red flags
When a home study needs urgent or specialist escalation.
Scenarios where a Type III home test is not enough on its own, or where treatment cannot wait for a routine follow-up.
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Severe OSA (AHI > 30)
A same-week CPAP pathway is appropriate, not a watchful-waiting approach.
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Occupational driving
HGV, PSV or professional drivers with sleepiness need urgent assessment and DVLA disclosure.
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Heart failure with OSA
OSA meaningfully worsens cardiac outcomes — early treatment matters.
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Refractory hypertension
Blood pressure resistant to three or more agents warrants OSA screening.
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Nocturnal arrhythmia
Atrial fibrillation and pauses at night can be OSA-driven.
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Suspected central sleep apnoea
Central events on polygraphy prompt full in-lab PSG.
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Complex parasomnia
Non-respiratory events need attended polysomnography — not a Type III home study.
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Overlap syndrome (OSA + COPD)
Requires overnight oximetry, blood gases and specialist respiratory input.
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Post-COVID sleep-disordered breathing
New or worsening breathing symptoms after COVID need a broader respiratory work-up.
Sources
Clinically reviewed against current guidance.
This guide is written against AASM, BTS, NICE and ERS guidance, and is reviewed at least annually.
Editorial detail
Reviewed 2026-07-30 · Next review 2027-07-30
Reviewed by Pulse Atlas Editorial Board, . Written by the Pulse Atlas editorial team.
Frequently asked
Everything patients ask about the Nox T3.
Quick answers on accuracy, what it doesn’t measure, next steps and DVLA responsibilities.
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What is the Nox T3 sleep test?
The Nox T3 is a portable AASM Type III home sleep apnoea test that records respiration, oxygen saturation, snoring and body position overnight in your own bed to diagnose obstructive sleep apnoea.
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How accurate is the Nox T3 for OSA?
For adults with a high pre-test probability of moderate to severe OSA, Type III home polygraphy has good agreement with in-lab polysomnography. When results are borderline or central events are suspected, an attended in-lab study is recommended.
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Do I need to sleep in a lab?
No. The whole recording is done at home in your own bed. You collect or receive the device, fit the sensors at bedtime, sleep normally and return the recorder the next day.
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What does the Nox T3 not measure?
It doesn’t record EEG, so it can’t stage sleep or diagnose parasomnias, narcolepsy or REM behaviour disorder. For those, an attended polysomnography is needed.
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What happens if the study is positive?
The sleep physician will discuss severity and options — typically CPAP for moderate-severe OSA, or a mandibular advancement device or positional therapy for milder disease.
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Do I need to tell the DVLA?
If you have excessive daytime sleepiness that affects, or is likely to affect, safe driving, you must notify the DVLA. Your sleep physician will advise on your specific situation.
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In practice, in London
What nox t3 sleep test looks like on the ground in London
With nox t3 sleep test, the London question is usually about report turnaround and the radiologist reading it — not whether the scan is available. On the NHS, nox t3 sleep test typically sits behind a triage step and a wait that can stretch from a few weeks into months. In London’s private sector, the same appointment often lands within days. That speed matters when symptoms are disrupting work, sleep, or a plan you’d already committed to — and it’s the single most common reason people call us in the first place.
A private nox t3 sleep test pathway in London usually looks like this: an initial consultation, any diagnostics booked at a nearby facility (most within Zone 1 or 2), and a written report sent to you and your GP within a few days. The consultants we work with hold NHS posts alongside their private lists, which keeps the standards consistent across both settings. For nox t3 sleep test specifically, the difference between a routine report and a sub-speciality read is where private care earns its keep.
Fit matters more than people expect. For nox t3 sleep test, the right consultant depends on what you actually need — a second opinion, a definitive diagnosis, a bridge into treatment, or reassurance that nothing’s being missed. We match on that, not on who has the biggest brochure. If a test isn’t the right next step, we’ll say so before you book anything.