sleep apnoea

British

noun

the temporary cessation of breathing during sleep, which in some cases is due to obstruction of the upper airway by enlarged tonsils, uvula, etc, causing the sufferer to snore loudly and fight for breath

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

This discovery could lead to new ways to treat high blood pressure, especially in people with sleep apnoea, where carotid body activity increases when breathing stops during sleep.

From Science Daily • Mar. 22, 2026

Dutch electronics and medical device manufacturer Philips said Tuesday that it had bounced back into the black in 2025, as it seeks to turn the page on a scandal over faulty sleep apnoea machines.

From Barron's • Feb. 10, 2026

The genetic condition can cause serious medical complications such as spinal cord compression, sleep apnoea, bowed legs, narrowing of the spinal canal and recurrent ear infections.

From Science Daily • Nov. 18, 2024

Another goes through the health consequences of sleep apnoea.

From BBC • Jan. 12, 2024

The group has been grappling with the fallout of a global recall of millions of respirators used to treat sleep apnoea since it was announced in June 2021.

From Reuters • Jul. 24, 2023

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023