What does hypopnea mean?
A hypopnea is a temporary reduction in the depth of breathing, especially during sleep, and is less severe than a complete pause in breathing. In sleep medicine, it generally involves reduced airflow and is often accompanied by a small decrease in blood oxygen or a brief change in sleep stage. Hypopneas are commonly evaluated in sleep studies, sometimes by counting them together with apneas to calculate an apnea-hypopnea index. Recurrent hypopneas can contribute to disrupted sleep and may be associated with obstructive sleep apnea. The word is technical and is usually encountered in clinical reports, research literature, or discussions of sleep disorders rather than in everyday speech. It should not be confused with dyspnea, which means difficult or uncomfortable breathing, or with apnea, which involves a complete or near-complete pause.
nounA temporary reduction in the depth of breathing, especially during sleep, that is less severe than a complete pause in breathing. In sleep medicine, a hypopnea is commonly associated with reduced airflow, a fall in blood oxygen, or a brief arousal.
- A reduction in the depth or volume of breathing, especially during sleep, that is less severe than apnea.
"Her sleep study recorded frequent hypopneas, indicating repeated interruptions in airflow during the night."
"The patient’s oxygen saturation dropped repeatedly in association with hypopneas during the sleep study."
"Mild hypopnea can occur without the person becoming consciously aware of it."
The plural is standard in American medical usage; hypopnoeas is also used in British medical writing.
"Frequent hypopneas were detected throughout the night."
A hypopnea is not simply a deep breath: even a slight reduction in airflow, repeated throughout sleep, can signal clinically important sleep-disordered breathing.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does hypopnea come from?
The word combines the Greek prefix hypo-, meaning “under” or “less than,” with pnoia, a word associated with breathing. Its development reflects the medical sense of breathing that is reduced or insufficient. It belongs to a family of English words connected with breathing, including apnea, dyspnea, and pneumonia.
Related word forms
How hypopnea is actually used
This is primarily a medical term, especially in sleep medicine and respiratory studies. It is usually used in a clinical or technical register rather than in ordinary conversation. The spelling hypopnoea is common in British medical writing, while hypopnea is standard in American usage.
Easily confused with hypopnea
A hypopnea is a reduction in airflow or breathing depth, whereas an apnea is a complete or near-complete pause in breathing.
A hypopnea is primarily a measurable reduction in breathing, while dyspnea is the subjective experience of difficult or labored breathing.