Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and sleepiness rapidly return when patients stop using continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machines, a new study finds. CPAP is a common treatment for OSA patients, whose breathing is interrupted many times during sleep due to the repeated blockage of the upper airway. CPAP keeps the airway open by pumping a continuous stream of air through a mask or nose piece the patient wears while sleeping.
