Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a condition where a person's airway repeatedly collapses during sleep, causing them to stop breathing briefly and disrupting their rest. The standard way to diagnose OSA is a formal overnight sleep study called polysomnography (PSG). However, in resource-limited settings, sleep study centers are scarce, which can lead to months of waiting before a patient can be diagnosed and treated. Delaying treatment can negatively affect a patient's quality of life and increase their risk for other health issues.
The purpose of this observational study is to evaluate the clinical benefits of starting continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy early for patients who are highly suspected to have OSA, while they wait for their formal sleep study.
Researchers will enroll adult patients who have symptoms of OSA (such as loud snoring, witnessed breathing pauses, and severe daytime sleepiness) and a high clinical probability of having the condition. Instead of waiting for the official sleep study to begin treatment, these participants will be provided with an Auto-CPAP machine set to a practical pressure range.
The main goals of the study are to evaluate:
* If this early, empirical Auto-CPAP treatment improves patients' daytime sleepiness and overall quality of life, which will be measured using specialized questionnaires.
* How accurately the temporary Auto-CPAP machine's pressure settings match the final, optimal pressure settings that will eventually be determined by the formal sleep study.