‘Love Is Blind’ Star Jordan Faeth Uses a CPAP—Here’s Why It Doesn’t Hurt Intimacy

Season 10 of Netflix’s hit reality TV show Love Is Blind, which is set in Ohio, took viewers by surprise after Jordan Faeth revealed to his partner Amber Morrison that he uses a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machine to manage his sleep apnea. The couple also hinted at being intimate while Faeth was wearing the CPAP machine, showing just how much the device doesn’t bother them. 

While the couple doesn’t seem to be fazed by Faeth’s device, which is the gold standard treatment for sleep apnea, others sometimes find a CPAP to be uncomfortable or even noisy. So what can you do if you or your partner is having trouble sleeping with a CPAP machine? We asked an expert to find out. 

What is a CPAP machine? 

CPAP machines are designed to treat obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) by helping to keep the airway open while you sleep, explains Brandon R. Peters, MD, FAASM, sleep physician and section head of sleep medicine at Virginia Mason Medical Center and author of The Sleep Apnea Hypothesis. 

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“Sleep apnea can be associated with snoring, pauses in breathing, gasping or choking, excessive daytime sleepiness or fatigue, insomnia, peeing in the night, teeth grinding and more,” Dr. Peters continues. “Untreated, moderate to severe sleep apnea is strongly linked to hypertension, diabetes, atrial fibrillation, heart attack, heart failure, stroke and dementia.”

About 80 to 100 percent of the cost of CPAP is covered by insurance, Dr. Peters notes. If the device isn’t covered, it often costs around $1000out of pocket, he adds. While he says that CPAP is the go-to treatment for sleep apnea, he adds that “not everyone tolerates the use of CPAP, and sometimes alternatives have to be considered.” (Discover the best CPAP-free sleep apnea treatments.)

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Does a CPAP machine affect your partner’s sleep? 

For the most part, CPAP machines tend to be pretty quiet and don’t typically make it harder for someone to fall asleep. If it does, though, Dr. Peters says it’s “important to address mask fit and replace supplies regularly. The use of a modern device may quiet the fan noise that CPAP generates. If the noise is experienced as a soothing, white noise rather than an irritating hum, this can help the bed partner to feel less disturbed by the presence of the sound in the bedroom,” he explains. 

How to ensure a CPAP device doesn’t disrupt intimacy 

For Love is Blind stars Faeth and Morrison, the CPAP machine seemingly did not dampen their physical relationship. Not all couples feel the same, though, which Dr. Peters says it is totally normal. 

“At first brush, CPAP can feel like a barrier to intimacy. For couples who prefer to spoon, it can feel awkward to have a mask or tubing in the way,” he said. “Fortunately, couples can acclimate and find ways to make it work! As an example, the CPAP user can be the ‘little spoon’ and have the mask and tubing directed away from their bed partner.” 

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Once partners get over that initial awkwardness or adjustment period, Dr. Peters says that intimacy and a couple’s overall health can, and most likely will, improve. 

“Is there a bigger turn off than having someone snoring in your face? The treatment of sleep apnea not only boosts quality of life, it may have direct effects on sexual health,” he explains. “For example, erectile dysfunction is linked to untreated sleep apnea.” But when their sleep improves and their bodies get the rest they need, he explains, it becomes easier for them to be intimate. 

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