Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is defined as a repetitive reduction or cessation of breathing during sleep due to narrowing or obstruction of the upper airway (Paul & Hays, Jr., 2018).

OSA is more prevalent in males than females in adult population (Paul & Hays, Jr., 2018). 10% of males aged 30 to 49 years and 17% of males aged 50 to 70 years have OSA (Paul & Hays, Jr., 2018). 3% of females aged 30 to 49 years and 9% of females aged 50 to 70 years have OSA (Paul & Hays, Jr., 2018). People who are obese and those that have hypertension, regardless of gender, have a higher prevalence of OSA than otherwise healthy adults (Glass & Hall, 2017). “The prevalence of OSA in the general pediatric population is estimated to be 1% to 6%. However, in obese children and adolescents, OSA is reported to occur in 19% to 61%” (Paul & Hays, Jr., 2018, p. 1189). The majority of children, who are not obese, with OSA are between the ages of 2 to 10 years and the cause is typically due to enlarged tonsils and adenoids (Glass & Hall, 2017).

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