sleep apnea

[ sleep-ap-nee-uh ]

nounPathology.
  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.

Origin of sleep apnea

1
First recorded in 1975–80

Words Nearby sleep apnea

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use sleep apnea in a sentence

Scientific definitions for sleep apnea

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.

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