Snoring and apnea.

Clinical investigation over the last decade has demonstrated that sleep may not be the benign rejuvenating state it was once considered. With the discovery of repetitive episodes of sleep obstruction during sleep, there has been an increased interest in what happens to breathing during sleep. Classically, snoring and apnea have not been listed under pulmonary signs and symptoms, but research has provided a better understanding of normal ventilatory changes during sleep as well as the pathologic changes associated with sleep apnea and other cardiopulmonary disorders.