Abstract
Objective
The majority of adults sleep with a partner, making sleep a dyadic experience. However,
interventions to improve sleep have primarily focused on individuals. This qualitative
analysis used a dyadic approach to identify facilitators and barriers to successful
treatment of one of the most common sleep disorders, obstructive sleep apnea, with
continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP).
Methods
Twenty joint qualitative interviews were conducted with couples, one couple at a time,
with a sample of 20 patients with obstructive sleep apnea and their partners to develop
an understanding of couples' experiences with CPAP use. Interviews were audio recorded
and transcribed. Conventional qualitative content analysis was used to analyze the
interview data.
Results
Facilitators of CPAP use were the following: the partner aiding diagnosis and treatment,
couples working together using CPAP, the perceived benefits of CPAP for both partners,
the patient being motivated to use CPAP for the benefit of the partner, and various
types of support provided by the partner to encourage CPAP use. Major barriers to
CPAP use were the following: anxiety related to CPAP use particularly in the beginning
of therapy, bothersome equipment causing disruptions in sleep and bedtime routine,
interruptions to intimacy, and concern about image change while wearing CPAP.
Conclusions
Findings from this study suggest that couple-directed interventions that advocate
for a mutually engaging perspective and promote supportive relationships and positive
dyadic coping may be targets for improving CPAP adherence. Further research evaluating
the potential of couple-focused interventions to improve sleep health is warranted.
Keywords
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Article info
Publication history
Published online: July 25, 2017
Accepted:
July 6,
2017
Received in revised form:
June 3,
2017
Received:
February 14,
2017
Identification
Copyright
© 2017 National Sleep Foundation. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
