Sleep apnea sufferers downplay treatment, Philips survey finds

AMSTERDAM, the Netherlands - Thirty percent of people with sleep apnea somewhat or completely agree that they don't think it's necessary to be treated for sleep apnea, according to a new sleep survey from Royal Philips. Thirty nine percent of them somewhat or completely agree treatment for sleep apnea is worse than the disease itself, and nearly half of them have never been prescribed CPAP therapy. Yet 71% of those who use CPAP therapy say the benefits outweigh the convenience and 71% say that their sleep has improved since starting CPAP therapy. To conduct the survey, “Wake Up Call: Global Sleep Satisfaction Trends,” Philips surveyed more than 13,000 adults in 13 countries to capture attitudes, perceptions and behaviors around sleep. More broadly, only 49% of people report being satisfied with their sleep, with worry/stress reported by 33% as the most limiting factor to a good night's sleep, according to the survey. Interestingly, the company found fewer people in 2020 are taking action to improve sleep compared to 2019. “The decrease in people taking action to improve sleep is alarming, especially when it is clear people around the world deeply value sleep,” said Mark Aloia, PhD, Global Lead for Behavior Change, Sleep & Respiratory Care at Philips. “Sleep deficit impacts people both mentally and physically, so we need to educate people on available sleep resources and empower them with the confidence that their efforts will pay off. As we head into the next decade, Philips is focused on designing a future where technology leveraged across the entire sleep ecosystem can help people get the most out of their lives.” Factors putting quality sleep at risk stem from both social and technology distractions, the survey found. For example, despite experts' recommendations, almost four in 10 report using their phones right before falling asleep (39%) or as soon as they wake up (39%). The desire to get help is there, however, with 60% agreeing they are interested in new information or strategies to help them get better sleep, the survey found. A new data point this year: 15% have tried or currently use either marijuana or CBD oil to better their sleep.