Researchers claim that wearing a continuous positive airway pressure machine (CPAP) at night could improve people's sex lives. Sleep apnoea occurs when the walls of the throat collapse during
sleep, blocking off part of the airway and disturbing a person's sleep.
This can lead to daytime sleepiness and loss of concentration. The CPAP is a mask worn during sleep, which pumps air into the airways to keep them clear and replenish oxygen levels. Researchers from the Walter Reed National Military Medical Centre in
the US say the Darth Vader-like mask might be unattractive but it
improves erectile function and libido in men who wear it. Army captain Dr Joseph Dombrowsky recruited 92 men who had severe
obstructive sleep apnoea and were being treated using CPAP machines.
The average age of the participants was 46 and they suffered an
average of 39 apnoea events per hour. After completing a sexual function
survey, 43.5 percent reported erectile dysfunction. They were then
ranked as mild, moderate or severe. When the doctors reassessed the men after one, three and six months, they found a considerable improvement.
Fifty-four percent of those with mild erectile dysfunction noticed an
improvement, 29 percent of those with moderate erectile dysfunction
improved and 27 percent of those with severe erectile dysfunction
noticed a positive difference. Sexual desire also improved.
Dombrowsky hopes that starting CPAP therapy early could prevent men having to use drugs like Viagra.
“What the results say to me is that erectile dysfunction is a
progressive disease, as is sleep apnoea,” Dombrowsky said. “So if we
were to intervene earlier, we might be able to stave off the progression
of erectile dysfunction.”
Past studies have shown erectile dysfunction can be an early sign of
diabetes, cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure and poor fitness. Scientists are still determining the specific link between sleep
apnoea and erectile dysfunction. Dombrowsky believes it could be because
men naturally get erections during the rapid eye movement (REM) phase
of sleep, but in apnoea sufferers REM is interrupted.
The researchers plan to recruit a larger sample size of men to further investigate.
I wonder if it related on common sleep apnea caused by obstruction or not?
ReplyDeleteThis is a difficult one. Chances are fairly high that he will just turn you away, or lie there unresponsive staring at the ceiling, or get angry, or get upset. He KNOWS that he's making you miserable. He probably hates himself for it. So these are natural responses.
ReplyDeleteI think a counselor is probably the best place to start ... There are also a lot of good books dealing with the issue of getting back to intimacy, easing your way back in (as it were); I don't think that intimacy is something you can just pounce on an impotent man with - chances are he'll run a mile, and you'll feel 100 times worse. Like Jerry said - sudden sex
is a bad idea. You need to talk to him first and foremost.
That said, some people here have found it helpful to just get naked and cuddle - but my DH would die if I asked. (I don't want to sound all DOOM AND GLOOM, but just warn you that if you answer the door in the neglige with a porn video and picnic in the lounge - you just might get your heart broken.)