My son just all of asudden stops breathing at night

my son is 9 and about 4 nights ago he developed this problem when he is sleeping where after several hours after he's gone to sleep he just completley stops breathing, he does this several times during the night. He only weighs 60lbs far from being over weight, he's tall & very athletic, he doesn't snore, no learning or listening issues, not aggressive or overly angry  just very healthy athletic little boy. we have been to the ER 3 out of the 4 nights because it simply scares me to death when he starts shaking me to wake me up pounding on his chest and pointing to his mouth like he's choking on something. the x-rays show normal, as well as his ekg. im scared that he wont wake up one night in time to come to me for help. what could this be? i have been researching this since it first happened since all the doctors keep saying hes healthy and nothing is wrong with him and not to bring him back to the ER because they cant help a healthy child, and everything says sleep apnea but there are symptoms that he doesnt have so that doesn't make sense to me and why would it just all of a sudden start happening? He does have high levels of anxiety I believe, he stresses about things that he should not but i think he gets that from me but i don't believe that could have anything to do with him not breathing either. I did sleep in his bed with him last night to observe what actually takes place and he slept all night last night for the first time in days until 7:47a.m.where i noticed him taking short shallow breaths like he was choking on something so i sat him up and tried to wake him but his body was limp as he just kept taking short gasp trying to catch his breath so by time i stood up and got him up he had completley stopped breathing i stood behind him and pushed on his back & chest at the same time where then he took a huge gasp for air. please help me!!!! what could be wrong with him?

[Kevin Kennedy, Ph.D.]

He would not be aware of episodes of apnea, so the fact that he is waking you up to report thse make that possibility highly suspicious. The only way to know for sure if he displays sleep apnea is for him to undergo a polysomnogram. Talk with his doctor about this. My sense is that he is dispaying epiodes of anxiety, not apnea, but the sleep study would determine this for sure. The facts that he is healthy and not overweight do not by themselves rule out episodes of apnea.

[crystalb1231]

Thank you so much for your advice and your help. I have mentioned anxiety to the doctors and they keep telling me to let them do their jobs but they are not doing anything but running up a bill for me but yet my son is not yet been diagnosed with anything.  Thank you so much once again!