The term "Sleep-Disordered Breathing" refers to conditions where apnoeas and hypopnoeas are present during sleep.
The most common form of Sleep-Disordered Breathing (SDB) is obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA), but SDB also occurs in conditions experienced by patients with chest wall, neuromuscular, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), or lung disease, such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
Because the symptoms of sleep apnoea present themselves as a result of a precursor, SDB has become the general term used to describe any disease state that manifests apnoeas and/or hypopnoeas during sleep.
While the mechanisms of these apnoeas and hypopnoeas differ, a basic explanation of sleep apnoea may provide the best in-road to understanding the significance of sleep-disordered breathing.