People with sleep apnea syndrome who use continuous positive airway pressure therapy have happier and healthier relationships.
- Study links sleep apnea treatment to happier relationships.
- Patients who regularly use their continuous positive airway pressure therapy device show higher levels of relationship satisfaction and lower levels of conflict with their partner.
- Healthy spouses report the same beneficial effects of treatment on their life as a couple.
When you see a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy device—used to treat sleep apnea—the words “romantic” and “glamorous” don’t really come to mind. And yet… according to a new study, presented at the SLEEP 2024 conference in Houston from May 1er As of June 5, the machine has proven to be very beneficial for the couple’s life of people affected by this nocturnal breathing disorder.
Sleep apnea syndrome: a treatment that boosts life as a couple
“No one is at their best when they’re not sleeping,” says Wendy Troxel of the research firm Rand Corporation. “In an age where we’re seeing couples experience ‘sleep divorces’ and about 50 percent of marriages end in full-blown divorce, it’s imperative to recognize how healthy sleep can contribute to healthy relationships.”
To assess the impact of obstructive sleep apnea-hypopnea syndrome (OSAHS) on households, the scientist’s team brought together 36 couples in which one of the partners was affected by the pathology. At the beginning of the study, the patients began to follow their treatment with continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP). During the 3 months of the experiment, the data from the device was recorded. The duration and efficiency of sleep were also evaluated. All participants were also asked to indicate their relationship satisfaction and their conflicts during this period.
The results showed that the more regularly the patient used the CPAP device, the higher the levels of relationship satisfaction their couple had. The spouses also argued less. The improvement in sleep of OSAHS patients was also associated with higher rates of relationship satisfaction. This positive effect was observed by both the patient and their partner.
Better couple life, a motivating factor for CPAP treatment?
The results of this study, published in the issue of the review Sleep from May 2024confirm that sleep and sleep disorders are involved in the quality of couples’ relationships. Regarding sleep apnea, compliance with CPAP treatment is linked to more harmonious and healthy relationships.
“Recognizing that sleep and sleep disturbances impact the quality of a relationship could be a powerful motivator to encourage people with sleep apnea to adhere to treatment.”concludes lead author Wendy Troxel in a communicated.
For the researchers who carried out this work, it is important to highlight it to patients affected by sleep apnea. Indeed, individuals suffering from this disease, which is characterized by repeated closures of the pharynx during sleep, face several complications if they are not treated. First, their quality of life is affected by fatigue, drowsiness, difficulty concentrating and irritability. Disorders that result from a restless night marked by micro-awakenings. The risks of road, domestic and professional accidents are greater.
In the long term, the pathology increases the risk of cardiometabolic diseases: heart rhythm disorders, hypertension, stroke, diabetes, obesity, etc.