A significant proportion of the population (around 5% of men and 2% of women) experiences breathing difficulties during sleep. In most cases, these respiratory disturbances consist of periodic breathing obstructions followed by sudden short awakenings (up to 60 times per hour in severe cases). The patient suffering this disorder, technically called obstructive sleep apnoea-hypopnoea syndrome (OSAHS), is not aware of his/her abnormal sleep.
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