Sleep apnea
Other names	Sleep apnoea, sleep apnea syndrome
Obstructive sleep apnea
Pronunciation	/æpˈniːə/, /ˈæpniə/
Specialty	Otorhinolaryngology, sleep medicine
Symptoms	Pauses in breathing or periods of shallow breathing during sleep, snoring, tired during the day[1][2]
Complications	Heart attack, stroke, diabetes, heart failure, irregular heartbeat, obesity, motor vehicle collisions[1]
Usual onset	55–60 years old[1][3]
Causes	Obstructive sleep apnea, central sleep apnea, mixed sleep apnea[1]
Risk factors	Overweight, family history, allergies, enlarged tonsils[4]
Diagnostic method	Overnight sleep study[5]
Treatment	Lifestyle changes, mouthpieces, breathing devices, surgery[1]
Frequency	1–6% (adults), 2% (children)[3][6]

Sleep apnea, also spelled sleep apnoea, is a sleep disorder where a person has pauses in breathing or periods of shallow breathing during sleep.^[1] Each pause can last for a few seconds to a few minutes and they happen many times a night.^[1] In the most common form, this follows loud snoring.^[2] There may be a choking or snorting sound as breathing resumes.^[1] Because the disorder disrupts normal sleep, those affected may experience sleepiness or feel tired during the day.^[1] In children it may cause hyperactivity or problems in school.^[2]

Sleep apnea may be either obstructive (in which breathing is interrupted by a blockage of air flow), central (in which regular unconscious breath simply stops), or a combination of the two.^[1] Obstructive (OSA) is the most common form.^[1] Risk factors for OSA include being overweight, a family history of the condition, allergies, a small breathing airway, and enlarged tonsils.^[4] Some people with sleep apnea are unaware they have the condition.^[1] In many cases it is first observed by a family member.^[1] Sleep apnea is often diagnosed with an overnight sleep study.^[5] For a diagnosis of sleep apnea, more than five episodes per hour must occur.^[7]

Treatment may include lifestyle changes, mouthpieces, breathing devices, and surgery.^[1] Lifestyle changes may include avoiding alcohol, losing weight, stopping smoking, and sleeping on one’s side.^[8] Breathing devices include the use of a CPAP machine.^[8] Without treatment, sleep apnea may increase the risk of heart attack, stroke, diabetes, heart failure, irregular heartbeat, obesity, and motor vehicle collisions.^[1]

OSA affects 1 to 6% of adults and 2% of children.^[3][6] It affects males about twice as often as females.^[3][9] While people at any age can be affected, it occurs most commonly among those 55 to 60 years old.^[1][3] CSA affects less than 1% of people.^[10] A type of CSA was described in the German myth of Ondine’s curse where the person when asleep would forget to breathe.^[11]