In general, Cartwright found, the findings showed that a husband was more likely to use the device when he shared the bed with his wife.
In a second sleep lab study done 2 weeks into the husbands' CPAP therapy, Cartwright also found that the men's sleep had improved, as had their scores on a standard measure of quality of life.
Their wives' quality of life scores, in contrast, had not improved, and were actually lower than those of their husbands.
Many wives of men with OSA, Cartwright explained, become "fragile sleepers," waking often during the night to get their snoring husband to turn over onto his side, or to make sure he is still breathing.
Some wives, after years of listening to their husband gasp for air in his sleep, become conditioned to waking up to check on him.
Not surprisingly, it may take longer than 2 weeks for women to break these patterns and sleep soundly, according to Cartwright.
"So," she said, "we need to encourage wives to stick with it and stay in the bed."
SOURCE: Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine, April 15, 2008.
