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 Aldi, Costco, Publix affected More than 500 deaths may be linked to recalled Philips sleep apnea machines, FDA says Lovevery recalls 51,500 of its Slide & Seek Ball Runs over choking hazard Nissan recall over seat belt malfunction Nissan is recalling 9,720 of its 2023 Rogue vehicles. USA TODAY, 11 Mar. 2024 Her propensity for reporting her daughter as being sick started even earlier, when Dee Dee insisted Gypsy experienced sleep apnea as an infant soon after birth. Hannah Kirby, Journal Sentinel, 26 Feb. 2024 Women are more likely to have insomnia and less likely to have sleep apnea. Sara Novak, Discover Magazine, 15 Feb. 2024 The Food and Drug Administration says 561 deaths have been reported in connection to recalled Philips devices to treat obstructive sleep apnea and other breathing disorders. Kate Gibson, CBS News, 1 Feb. 2024 Being overweight or obese increases risk of death, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, stroke, high cholesterol, several types of cancers, coronary heart disease, sleep apnea, gallbladder disease and mental health issues like depression and anxiety. Arianna Johnson, Forbes, 29 Feb. 2024 The White House also announced last summer that Biden had begun using a continuous positive airway pressure, or CPAP, machine at night to help with sleep apnea — which could be reflected in the final report his doctors will release on Biden’s physical on Wednesday. Darlene Superville, Fortune, 28 Feb. 2024 Obesity can put kids at higher risk of developing high blood pressure, high cholesterol, Type 2 diabetes and obstructive sleep apnea. Marina Kopf, NBC News, 21 Feb. 2024 These airway pressure machines, known as CPAP or BiPAP depending on their design, are sophisticated medical devices that have been used for decades by patients with sleep disorders like obstructive sleep apnea. Kushal T. Kadakia, STAT, 6 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'sleep apnea.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1975, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of sleep apnea was in 1975

Dictionary Entries Near sleep apnea

Cite this Entry

“Sleep apnea.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sleep%20apnea. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

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

More from Merriam-Webster on sleep apnea

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