Improve your sex life with CPAP

The answer for some men’s sex woes may not be that oft-advertised little blue pill. A new study shows CPAP can dramatically improve sexual function for obstructive sleep apnea patients.

Patients with the most severe cases of sleep apnea reported the largest improvement in sexual relationship after three months of CPAP treatment. Those with fewer apneic episodes still saw a noticeable difference.

Past research shows loss of interest in sex is directly tied with the number of apneic events. Men with obstructive sleep apnea generally have poorer intimate and sexual relations. Its estimated 30 to 60 percent of men with sleep apnea have some degree of erectile dysfunction.

A group of 123 men from sleep disorder centers were screened for sleep disorders and sexual dysfunction before beginning CPAP therapy. The participants were primarily middle-aged obese white men with severe forms of sleep apnea.

Each completed the Multiple Sleep Latency Test, the Epworth Sleepiness Scale and the Intimate and Sexual Relationships subscale of the Functional Outcomes of Sleep Questionnaire.

Patients returned to the clinic and underwent the same tests three months after starting treatment.

CPAP therapy is the most common treatment for obstructive sleep apnea. An oral appliance is also effective for treating mild to moderate cases. The AASM recommends dietary weight loss for people are obese and have sleep apnea.

Get help for sleep apnea at an AASM-accredited sleep center near you.