Sleep apnea can affect toddlers children and adults although some of the identifying symptoms are different depending on your age. Sleep apnea also spelled sleep apnoea is a sleep disorder where a person has pauses in breathing or periods of shallow breathing during sleep. Sleep Apnea In Adults Can Leave One Restless And Frustrated Sleep Who has sleep apnea. Sleep apnea in adults . Each pause can last for a few seconds to a few minutes and they happen many times a night. Sleep apnea is a potentially serious sleep disorder in which breathing repeatedly stops and starts. There may be a choking or snorting sound as breathing resumes. Sleep apnea is a common sleep disorder in which an individual s breathing repeatedly stops and starts during sleep. Other risk factors include middle and older age being overweight or obese and having a small mouth and throat. In the most common form this follows loud snoring. Obstructive sleep apnea occurs when the muscles in the back o...