Those who have been diagnosed with obstructive sleep apnea suffer from a wide range of negative conditions. When left untreated, sleep apnea can cause everything from disrupted sleep to headaches, fatigue, irritability, and so much more. These conditions, when combined with the continued lack of sleep, can lead to a decrease in the quality of life and a person’s performance at work.
What the Science Says About Sleep Apnea and Work Performance
A lot of studies have been performed regarding sleep apnea and work performance, and the science is clear: those who suffer from untreated sleep apnea perform worse at their jobs, with no discrimination based on the person’s career. Studies have shown that those who had higher levels of sleep disturbance were more likely to:
- Be absent from work
- Have lower work performance ratings
- Higher healthcare costs
Across the board, sleep apnea and continued disruption in sleep were attributed to significant decreases in nearly every outcome.
The Effects of CPAP Therapy
While sleep apnea is fairly common among adults of all ages in the U.S., there are proven methods of treatment. Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy is commonly used and highly effective. Studies have shown that continued CPAP therapy on sleep apnea patients can reverse the negative effects and performance they suffer on a day-to-day basis, including those that affect their workplace performance.
Consistent CPAP therapy is safe, highly effective and very easy to accomplish. CPAP machines are simple to use and do not require any advanced knowledge or effort to setup. The only thing the patient needs to keep in mind is to maintain consistency with treatment. CPAP therapy works rather quickly, but a person needs to use their machine every single night in order for it to maintain its effectiveness. There are numerous negative effects of skipping CPAP therapy, which is why it’s so important to take use your CPAP machine every night, even when you need to be away from home.
Travel-Sized CPAP Machines
While most CPAP machines are large and bulky, there are smaller CPAP machines that offer the same level of effective treatment and comfort during the night. These machines make it easy for those with sleep apnea to take their CPAP thearpy on the road with them, continuing their necessary treatment whether they are staying in a hotel, camping, or flying to a country across the world.
