Can we enhance compliance to treatment by performing a continuous positive airway pressure trial in obstructive sleep apnea?

Background: Although continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy is the most effective treatment for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), it is not always easy to gain adherence to therapy. We aimed to evaluate how short-term CPAP application during the daytime before the titration night affects polysomnographic data and CPAP adherence in OSA.

Methods: Patients with moderate to severe OSA for whom CPAP titration was recommended were prospectively randomized to daytime CPAP application (group 1) or usual care (group 2).  For group 1, CPAP was applied for 30-60 min in daytime conditions to acclimate patients to the device. An appointment was then made to perform CPAP titration with PSG. In group 2 (usual care), the first CPAP application was performed on the titration night. PSG recordings and titration night recordings of both groups were compared. All subjects were evaluated 1 month after the initiation of CPAP treatment.

Results: Among 246 cases, first night data were similar in both groups. During the titration night, total sleep time, sleep efficiency, and time in stage N3 were significantly higher in patients who underwent the daytime CPAP trial. Adherence to CPAP treatment at first-month follow-up was significantly higher in the group 1 (5.7 ± 1.0 h/night) compared to the group 2 (3.9 ± 1.1 h/night, p < 0.001).

Conclusion: A short-term daytime CPAP trial in patients before the titration night may provide longer and more efficient sleep on the titration night and better CPAP adherence at one month.