Comment by outworlder

The largest barrier by far is actually starting the process to get a diagnosis. It's often a family member that notices and raises the alarm.

Note that you can be diagnosed with sleep apnea based on the home study alone, you don't always have to go to a sleep clinic. If you are really sure you have sleep apnea (and you can be pretty certain with a home sleep study + symptoms) you can just go online and get a prescription for free by talking to a doctor at one of the companies that resell CPAP machines. At least in the US, other countries can be more bureaucratic.