Apnea is a temporary cessation of breathing for at least 10 seconds.
Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is the more common form of apnea that occurs when the throat muscles relax, causing the breathing to completely stop or reduce to 10 percent of the normal level.
Because one cannot get enough air, the oxygen level in your blood is lowered. The brain senses your inability to breathe and briefly attempts to wake you from sleep so that you can reopen the airway.
Symptoms include loud snoring and episodes in which one actually stops breathing during sleep, leading to the need to gasp for air….