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Tests & preventive care

Overnight oximetry in children

What it measures and when it helps

What it records

Continuous oxygen saturation and pulse recording during sleep can support assessment of snoring, suspected pauses and selected respiratory conditions.

At home

A small sensor is worn during normal sleep. Signal quality matters because movement can create false drops.

Interpretation

The pattern, frequency and duration of drops matter more than one lowest value. A normal trace does not exclude every sleep disorder; polysomnography may still be needed.

Medically updated: 13 August 2026