Study Says CPAP Treatment Could Help Boost Women’s Libido, But Not Men's

Sleep apnea is a disorder that is more difficult to identify than it is to actually treat. Its symptoms can easily be addressed via the use of a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machine. Though these devices are often uncomfortable, it is very effective in addressing sleep apnea symptoms, which include snoring, morning headaches, daytime drowsiness, among others. However, a recent study has found that CPAP treatement has an unexpected side effect for women. It can help them increase their libido and improve their sex lives.

A study published in the journal JAMA Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery highlighted that women with obstructive sleep apnea that are receiving treatment via CPAP therapy had a significant improvement in their sex lives. This improvement in libido, however, was only limited to women, as men only had a small and clinically insignificant improvement in their sex lives. This discovery took researchers by surprise, as previous studies had suggested the exact opposite. It was originally thought that men would have an improvement in their sex lives, while women would remain the same.

Researchers did theorize the source of these changes. Sleep apnea can frequently cause strains in the sex life of a couple, mainly because those who suffer from it experience high levels of exhaustion, as well as a reduced amount of energy throughout the day. This disorder can also cause a significant amount of frustration, since the patient is always fatigued, even when they believe they have a sufficient amount of sleep.

“The thought is that these factors may impact sexual function. In addition, a number of studies show sleep apnea is associated with erectile dysfunction in men. The reason why is unclear,” says lead study author Sebastian Jara, MD, otolaryngology resident at the University of Washington Medicine in Seattle.

To prove their findings, researchers went on to test a group of 182 men and women who had been recently diagnosed with obstructive sleep apnea. The subjects were presented with a wellness questionnaire where they rated several health statistics from 0 to 5 at the moment of their first clinical visit, and then again after a year had passed. Two of these questions had to do with their sexual relations, including those that explored sexual issues that stem from medical problems, as well as a general lack of desire to engage in sexual relations, or in other words, a decreased libido.

Read on to see what this study has found about the relationship between CPAP therapy and woman's sex lives.