Take a deep breath. One, two. And now exhale that breath. One, two. Repeat this process one more time. One, two. One, two.
Each inhale and exhale is called a breath cycle. Breathing depth refers to how deeply you inhale and exhale, and breathing pattern refers to how these breathing cycles are repeated.
'Apnea' and 'hypopnea' are about how much the depth of breathing has decreased from the usual normal range.
Apnea is an interruption in breathing during sleep with a minimum airflow of at least 50% and lasting more than 10 seconds. When this happens, you don't get enough oxygen and your blood oxygen levels can decrease. The most common type of apnea is obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), which occurs when the muscles in the back of your throat fail to keep your airway open during sleep.
Hypopnea, on the other hand, is when the airway is partially blocked, resulting in shallow breathing during sleep. Hypopnea is defined as a decrease in airflow of 30% or more and lasting at least 10 seconds. Like apnea, hypopnea can lead to a decrease in blood oxygen levels.
Both apnea and hypopnea disrupt normal sleep patterns and can cause a number of health problems if left untreated. Common symptoms of sleep apnea and hypopnea include loud snoring, gasping or choking during sleep, excessive daytime sleepiness, and difficulty concentrating.