Research
Adherence
Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) treatment significantly improves quality of life, mood, and sleepiness in women with moderate-to-severe OSA, with compliance rates comparable to men.
Stick with your CPAP machine. Studies show women use it as much as men and see significant improvements in mood, sleepiness, and daily functioning. If you are struggling with the mask, talk to your provider about different interface types, as satisfaction is high when the right fit is found.
GoodSupportsHIGH confidence
CPAP treatment was associated with significant improvements in quality of life in female OSA patients on a number of measures including daytime functioning, activity levels, daytime sleepiness, mood disturbances, and impact of sickness on daily life.
Why this rating
Supported by multiple observational studies and randomized controlled trials cited in the review.
Source
Obstructive Sleep Apnea in Women: Specific Issues and Interventions
Alison Wimms et al. · BioMed Research International · 2016
DOI 10.1155/2016/1764837
narrative_reviewCited 175×
Read the paper DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10
More from this paper
- Menopause increases the risk and severity of OSA in women due to the loss of protective hormonal effects (progesterone) and changes in fat distribution.Good
- Women with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) experience similar or worse health consequences, including cardiovascular risk and cognitive impairment, compared to men despite having lower disease severity (lower AHI).Moderate
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