A study reviewed on February 13, 2006 by Karen Barrow of the New York Post focused on a study conducted by Dr. Rosalind Cartwright on the effects if how a couple’s marriage would be better if the husband’s sleep apnea was eliminated. Cartwright founded the Sleep Disorders Center at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago and has said that “this is a frequent problem within marriages that nobody is paying enough attention to.” In one of her studies, she came to the conclusion that a husband’s snoring woke his wife up eight times and caused some tension between the couple. Once Cartwright gave the husband a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machine to use at home for two weeks, the husband’s sleeping improved and therefore the tension between them decreased. Finally, Cartwright is continuing to research if other couples could have the same effect.
I am not disputing that what Cartwright did helped create happier marriages for couples, but the effects on sleep apnea and snoring may not affect couples in the same way. I disagree with this study because some spouses may deal with this issue differently than others based on their personality. For example, my father for years suffered from sleep apnea. Yes, it did cause my mother to wake up because his snoring was very loud, but it was not like they would argue because she would be awake. The tension they had related to this issue was for my father to get treated for it. Eventually, he had some sleep studies over at the sleep center at Morristown Memorial Hospital and had surgery, which now allows him to breathe better and decreased his snoring while sleeping. In conclusion, the study was effective, but it does not apply to all married couples, in which a spouse upsets the other due to their sleep apnea.
Source of Article:
•http://newyorkpost.healthology.com/womens-health/article1243.htm
