sleep apnea

[ sleep ap-nee-uh ]

noun

, Pathology.

1. a condition in which breathing is repeatedly interrupted during sleep due to blockage of the upper airway, causing frequent momentary or partial waking: often a result of obesity or neurological impairment and typically associated with sleepiness during the day.

sleep apnea

1. Apnea caused by upper airway obstruction during sleep, associated with frequent awakening and often with daytime sleepiness. It occurs most often in people who are obese or who have an obstructed respiratory tract or neurological abnormalities.

Word History and Origins

Origin of sleep apnea¹

First recorded in 1975–80

Example Sentences

Take, for instance, those with sleep apnea, in which breathing periodically stops and starts throughout the night.

From The Daily Beast

Snoring is a sign of obstructive sleep apnea, when your airway collapses or becomes blocked during sleep.

From The Daily Beast

Sometimes people with sleep apnea wake up during the night gasping for breath.

From The Daily Beast

And in other research, people with sleep apnea were found to have more difficulties with sexual function.

From The Daily Beast

Instead it is designed to alleviate the sleep apnea from which he suffers.

From The Daily Beast