1. Plural of hypopnea; episodes of shallow breathing during sleep in which airflow is reduced but not completely blocked, often associated with sleep apnea.
Usage: medical/clinical term; used in sleep medicine and pulmonology

Examples

• The sleep study detected multiple hypopneas throughout the patient's night.
• Hypopneas are characterized by a partial reduction in breathing effort or airflow.
• The apnea-hypopnea index measures the total number of apneas and hypopneas per hour of sleep.
• Patients with obstructive sleep apnea experience both apneas and hypopneas.
• The technician noted several hypopneas on the polysomnography report.