4 Answers

cessation of breath during sleep, can be a very chronic and serious problem, sleep clinics specialize in this type of disorder, and often a "c pap" machine can be of assistance

Click > Sleep apnea is a potentially serious sleep disorder in which breathing repeatedly stops and starts. You may have sleep apnea if you snore loudly and you feel tired even after a full night's sleep.

SLEEP APNOEA.....As Challeanne says is a dangerous condition where you stop breathing i nyour sleep for a while....sleep clinics can help and monitor and manage this..it can be common in overweight people??...IT can be caused by other things...The clinics will monitor your sleep patterns and ECG/HEART RATE...APNOEA MATS PLACED ON THE BED WILL ALARM IF YOU STOP BREATHING FOR EVEN A FEW MINUTES/SECONDS....THE POSITION YOU SLEEP IN...EG ON YOUR SIDE MAY ALSO HELP!!

GOOD LUCK

MILLIE XX

I think you mean sleep apnea.  The Encyclopedia and Dictionary of Medicine and Nursing says it's, "temporary cessation of breathing".