WASHINGTON: Loud snoring doesn't just annoy your spouse. It could signal dangerous sleep apnea, yet millions go undiagnosed.

A US government move may help change that: Medicare is poised to allow at-home testing for sleep apnea - letting people snooze in their own beds instead of spending the night in a sleep laboratory.

It's a controversial proposal, but potentially a far-reaching one. Some 18 million Americans are estimated to suffer from sleep apnea, yet specialists think fewer than half know it. "It's been awkward and inconvenient and expensive to get a sleep test, and now that should be improved," says Dr Terence Davidson of the University of California, San Diego, a longtime proponent of home-testing.

Today, Medicare pays for sleep apnea treatment only for seniors diagnosed in a sleep lab. Last month, Medicare proposed covering those diagnosed with cheaper home tests, too.

While sleep apnea is a problem for seniors, it is most common in middle-aged men. Sufferers actually quit breathing for 30 seconds or so at a time, as their throat muscles temporarily collapse.

They jerk awake to gasp in air, sometimes more than 15 times an hour. They're fatigued the next day because their brains never got enough deep sleep. Severe apnea increases the chance of a car crash sevenfold. Worse, sleep apnea stresses the body in ways that also increase risk of high blood pressure, heart attack, stroke and diabetes.