What type of sleep apnea results from a failure in the brain to signal muscles to breathe?

Central sleep apnea occurs when the brain fails to send proper signals to the muscles that control breathing. This leads to pauses in breathing during sleep, which can result in reduced oxygen levels and disrupted sleep patterns. Unlike obstructive sleep apnea, where the airway becomes blocked, central sleep apnea is characterized by a lack of respiratory effort due to issues with the central nervous system.

Mixed sleep apnea is a combination of both obstructive and central sleep apnea, but it still involves a component where the brain is not signaling correctly. Complex sleep apnea, which is often described as a form of mixed sleep apnea, also involves features of both types but primarily indicates that central apnea persists even after treating obstructive events.

Thus, the clear distinction of central sleep apnea being directly related to brain signaling makes it the correct answer in the context of this question.