What is obstructive sleep apnea?

What is obstructive sleep apnea?

• A. Sleepwalking during sleep
• B. Frequent nightmares
• C. Breathing pauses during sleep with partial airway obstruction
• D. Intermittent airflow blockage during sleep

Answer: (D)

Obstructive sleep apnea is when the upper airway repeatedly collapses or narrows during sleep, causing breathing to pause and often leading to reduced oxygen levels and disrupted sleep. The description that fits this best is the one that states breathing pauses during sleep due to partial airway obstruction, because it directly captures the core event: an airway blockage that interrupts breathing. The idea of intermittent airflow blockage is related but doesn’t explicitly emphasize the actual pauses in breathing that define the condition. Sleepwalking and nightmares point to entirely different sleep issues.

Obstructive sleep apnea is when the upper airway repeatedly collapses or narrows during sleep, causing breathing to pause and often leading to reduced oxygen levels and disrupted sleep. The description that fits this best is the one that states breathing pauses during sleep due to partial airway obstruction, because it directly captures the core event: an airway blockage that interrupts breathing. The idea of intermittent airflow blockage is related but doesn’t explicitly emphasize the actual pauses in breathing that define the condition. Sleepwalking and nightmares point to entirely different sleep issues.