Ma'anar ƙamus na kalmar "apnea" ita ce yankewar ɗan lokaci ko rashin numfashi, musamman lokacin barci. Kalma ce ta likitanci da aka fi amfani da ita don bayyana yanayin da mutum ke daina numfashi na ɗan gajeren lokaci yayin barci, yawanci saboda toshewa ko toshewar hanyar iska. Wannan katsewar numfashi na iya haifar da snoring, haping, da sauran alamun rikice-rikice waɗanda zasu iya yin tasiri ga ingancin bacci da lafiyar gaba ɗaya. Zaɓuɓɓukan jiyya don apnea na iya haɗawa da canje-canjen salon rayuwa, kamar asarar nauyi ko guje wa barasa da shan taba, da kuma ayyukan likita kamar injinan CPAP ko tiyata.