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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
All three were found to be substantially disabled by issues that can be caused by traumatic brain injury, like vertigo, headaches, anxiety and sleep apnea.
—Dave Philipps, New York Times, 2 May 2024
Philips also agreed to stop selling its sleep apnea devices in the United States until the conditions in the agreement were met.
—Debbie Cenziper, ProPublica, 30 Apr. 2024
Doctors told him that sleep apnea becomes severe at 30 stoppages per hour.
—Jeff Wilson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 31 Jan. 2024
And why would someone who doesn’t have sleep apnea choose to watch this?
—Liz Moughon, ProPublica, 22 Jan. 2024
Medical device maker Phillips formally entered into a consent decree that stops the company from selling sleep apnea machines in the United States over health concerns that include cancer.
—James Powel, USA TODAY, 12 Apr. 2024
The agreement also prohibits Philips from selling all sleep apnea devices and other respiratory machines in the United States.
—Michael Korsh, ProPublica, 9 Apr. 2024
Obstructive sleep apnea is also connected to type 2 diabetes, asthma, obesity, kidney disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, thyroid disease and mental illnesses such as depression and anxiety.
—Sandee Lamotte, CNN, 4 Apr. 2024
According to the Cleveland Clinic, sleep apnea is a disorder that causes a person to stop breathing while asleep.
—Jordan Greene, Peoplemag, 27 Mar. 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
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 23 May. 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
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about sleep apnea
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