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

Losing weight can directly lower the risk of sleep apnea, and results from a late-stage study from Lilly showed that tirzepatide led to 30 fewer such events, or a reduction of 63%, each hour for people with obesity and the sleeping disorder. —Alice Park, TIME, 21 May 2024

According to the Cleveland Clinic, sleep apnea is a disorder that causes a person to stop breathing while asleep. —Hannah Sacks, Peoplemag, 21 May 2024

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