Lapnée

Lapnée, written as l’apnée in French, designates the temporary cessation of breathing. In medical contexts it refers to apnea—pauses in breathing that can occur spontaneously or as part of a disorder. The term is used for both disease-related pauses, especially during sleep, and voluntary breath-hold activities in freediving.

In medicine, apnea is most commonly categorized as obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and central sleep apnea (CSA). OSA results from repetitive upper-airway collapse during sleep, while CSA arises from impaired respiratory drive in the brain. Complex or mixed sleep apnea combines elements of both. Risk factors include obesity, craniofacial anatomy, older age, smoking, alcohol or sedative use, and certain medical conditions. Common symptoms are loud snoring, witnessed apneas, gasping or choking during sleep, nocturnal awakenings, morning headaches, and daytime sleepiness or cognitive difficulties. Diagnosis typically relies on sleep studies, such as polysomnography or home sleep testing. Treatments are tailored to the type and severity and may include weight management, continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP), oral appliances, positional therapy, or surgical options. In some cases, additional devices like adaptive servo-ventilation are used for CSA.

Separately, apnée also denotes breath-hold diving in freediving. Practitioners train to maximize voluntary apnea underwater, emphasizing breathing techniques, equalization, and strict safety practices with a buddy system.

Overall, lapnée encompasses both a medical concept related to interrupted breathing and a sport involving controlled breath-holding.