Over 20 million Americans suffer from sleep apnea and OSA is the most common form of the condition which is characterised by interrupted breathing while sleeping. While efforts to breathe continue during an episode of OSA, the air cannot flow out of the individual's nose or mouth.
Affected individuals feel sleepy during the day and their concentration and performance suffer.
The consequences range from annoying to life-threatening. They include personality changes, sexual dysfunction and falling asleep at work, on the phone, or driving. OSA is also associated with cardiovascular and cerebrovascular morbidity and mortality. Investigators at the Yale Center for Sleep Disorders, Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine conducted a study to determine what effect nCPAP would have on the quality of life of OSA patients. Prior research had demonstrated nCPAP's ability to decrease the frequency of sleep apnea events and oxygen desaturation during sleep, but very few studies have focused on its impact on quality of life.