Did you receive a call from a sleep center to schedule an in-center or in-home sleep study?

If you’re suffering from sleep apnea, the go-to treatment is CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure) therapy. But there's also a less common alternative—surgery. What types of operations are available to treat sleep apnea, are they effective, and why is CPAP treatment preferred in the majority of cases?

You may have read our blog post on the difference between an at-home HST (Home Sleep Test) and an in-lab PSG (polysomnography), both of which test for sleep apnea. But that’s just scratching the surface of the sometimes complex and confusing terminology used to describe sleep disorder diagnosis and treatment. What’s the difference between a BiPAP titration and an ASV Titration? What’s a MWT (Maintenance of Wakefulness Test)? Which applies to me?

You’re in luck, because we have the answers.

As followers of the Sleep Better, Live Better blog probably know by now, sleep apnea is a serious condition with a wide range of health ramifications. Complications arising from obstructive sleep apnea can include drowsiness, weight gain, high blood pressure, and even car accidents.

So what can I do about it? The (very) good news is that sleep apnea is entirely treatable!

Doctors have known since the 1980s that sleep apnea is closely related to high blood pressure. Recent studies are confirming that sleep apnea is a direct cause of this serious health problem, and that using a CPAP machine as treatment for sleep disorders can significantly and immediately reduce blood pressure.

Patients with more family support show better adherence to CPAP therapy for sleep apnea.

This according to the findings of a new study presented today at the American Academy of Sleep Medicine annual Sleep Conference.

Research you can't ignore:

• Untreated sleep apnea increases erectile dysfunction in men and loss of libido in women.

• Treating sleep apnea can improve sexual function and sexual desire in men and women.

We know that lack of sleep, daytime sleepiness, restlessness and snoring can put a strain on relationships. With as many as 20 million Americans suffering from sleep apnea and many patients undiagnosed and untreated, there are lots of relationships suffering from lack of intimacy.

Scientists suspect that the consequences of sleep apnea that affect sexual function are caused by lack of sex hormones in men and women. Sleep apnea causes frequent waking in the night. Some people awake as many as 100 times an hour due to closures of the airway. This may cause levels of sex hormones, like testosterone to drop, causing sexual dysfunction.

The tragic events in Oakland over recent weeks have highlighted the risks of surgery for children. Thirteen year old Jahi McMath underwent routine surgery to remove her tonsils that obstructed her airways at night. She suffered heavy bleeding and cardiac arrest on December 12, three days after complex tonsillectomy surgery.