No sleep study yet? VA TeleSleep can test you from home

What happened

On October 26, 2026, VA News shared how Navy Veteran Denise Guzman got answers through VA's TeleSleep program. Her provider referred her, she met a VA sleep specialist nearly 500 miles away over VA Video Connect, and the specialist coordinated labs and equipment through her nearest VA facility. In some cases, equipment was mailed to her home. She was diagnosed with restless leg syndrome, not sleep apnea. Sleep care can find more than one kind of problem.

How to ask for it

• Talk to your VA care team. VA's advice is to ask your provider which virtual sleep care options are available and right for you. Tell them about your symptoms: snoring, waking up gasping, daytime sleepiness, restless legs, or pain that keeps you up.
• Set up VA Video Connect, VA's secure video app, on a phone, tablet or computer.
• Ask whether a home test is an option for you. Your specialist decides whether you need labs or equipment, and whether it can be done at home.
• Learn more at VA Telehealth Services.

Why a diagnosis matters for a claim

VA's claims manual says a sleep apnea diagnosis has to be confirmed by a sleep study before VA can grant service connection (M21-1, Part V, Subpart iii, 4.A.2.a). A diagnosis in your notes without a sleep study can still lead VA to schedule an exam, but it is not enough on its own. VA accepts a home sleep study only if a clinician decided a home study was appropriate for you and a competent medical provider reviewed the results. VA's Sleep Apnea DBQ says the same thing: the diagnosis must be confirmed by a sleep study.

Once it's confirmed, VA rates sleep apnea under 38 CFR 4.97, Diagnostic Code 6847: 0% (documented sleep disorder breathing with no symptoms), 30% (persistent daytime sleepiness), 50% (needs a breathing device such as CPAP), or 100% (chronic respiratory failure with carbon dioxide retention, cor pulmonale, or a tracheostomy).

A diagnosis is only one part of a claim. VA also looks for a link to service or to a service-connected condition. Get a copy of your sleep study and the specialist's notes for your file.

Our guides: Sleep apnea and VA claims · Sleep apnea claim guide · Why your VA doctor's notes are evidence

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