sleep apnea

noun

: apnea that recurs during sleep and is caused especially by obstruction of the airway or a disturbance in the brain's respiratory center

Examples of sleep apnea in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

People might still experience sleep apnea symptoms and need ongoing management.4 Osteoarthritis: Osteoarthritis is a wear-and-tear degenerative joint disease that progresses with age. —Amber J. Tresca, Verywell Health, 25 Apr. 2025

Lilly looks expensive at 70 times trailing earnings but is going to enjoy a burst of revenue, Taylor predicts, given the recent decision by Medicare to cover its expensive weight-loss drug for patients who have sleep apnea. —William Baldwin, Forbes.com, 23 Apr. 2025

There's also a blood-oxygen-level-tracking pulse oximeter – which can be used to detect sleep apnea, and to measure stress or energy expenditure – along with an optical skin temperature sensor for gauging body temperature or tracking ovulation. —Ben Coxworth, New Atlas, 8 Apr. 2025

There’s no question that the wildly popular injectable weight-loss drugs help people drop pounds, lower heart-disease risk, manage obstructive sleep apnea, and more. —Alice Park, TIME, 17 Mar. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1975, in the meaning defined above

Medical Definition

sleep apnea

noun

: brief periods of recurrent cessation of breathing during sleep that is caused especially by obstruction of the airway or a disturbance in the brain's respiratory center and is associated especially with excessive daytime sleepiness