A condition in which a person stops breathing for short periods at intervals while sleeping. This may be due to a respiratory tract abnormality, obesity, heavy snoring, and other causes.
A group of sleep disorders involving repeated episodes when a person stops breathing while asleep. Sleep apnea syndrome may be caused by a momentary blockage or obstruction in the throat or upper airway, or it may occur as the result of a dysfunction in the area of the brain that controls breathing.