Sleep Apnoea Services

Being overweight is one of the most common causes of OSA as it can cause a narrowing of the throat due to excess fatty tissue. Also, having a large waistline can make the lungs smaller during the night, which makes the throat more likely to collapse. Some people are born with a narrow throat or have a facial structure which leads to narrowing. Other contributing factors include: alcohol, especially in the evening as this relaxes the throat muscles and hampers the brain’s reaction to sleep disordered breathing, certain illnesses, large tonsils, medications, such as sleeping tablets and sedatives as well as nasal congestion and obstruction.

There is no cost for a Friendlies home sleep study as it is bulk billed through Medicare. However, you need to meet certain eligibility criteria to participate.

To be eligible for a free home sleep study at Friendlies, you need to be aged 18 years or over and have a valid GP referral. You must also have a Medicare card and not claimed a sleep study from Medicare in the past 12 months. Your participation in the study needs to be approved by a qualified sleep physician. Your local Friendlies pharmacy will seek this approval on your behalf.

Medicare will only cover the cost of the study if both your GP and a qualified sleep physician believe there is a high probability that you have OSA. You will need to visit your GP for a referral. Your local Friendlies pharmacy will seek approval from a qualified sleep physician on your behalf.

You can take the equipment off as soon as you wake up in the morning. You must return the equipment to Friendlies that same day. Friendlies will download your sleep data from the equipment and send it to a qualified sleep physician for review.