Progress in clinical research of REM-related obstructive sleep apnea

REM-related obstructive sleep apnea （REM-OSA） refers to apneas and hypopneas in which most respiratory events occur during REM. The total AHI of REM-OSA is low compared to NREM-OSA, but the duration of apnea hypopnea events is longer and the oxygen saturation is lower. Only focusing on the total AHI value will miss the diagnosis of REM-OSA, and even some patients with severe hypoxemia cannot be effectively treated.REM-OSA may be an early manifestation of OSA, and active early recognition and intervention may benefit patients.The pathophysiology and mechanism of REM-OSA are still unclear. In this article, we reviewed the existing REM-OSA related research.