Weird Sleeping Habits

I've noticed this about a month ago but really recognized it last night. When my boyfriend sleeps at night it almost sounds as if he is choking while he sleeps.I asked him if he ever stops breathing in his sleep and he says sometimes, but when i mention this he has no clue about it, doesn't even recognize that he does it. I don't want to say he has sleep apnea but I have no idea. It almost sounds like he is blocking off the air passage way in his throat and forcing it through his nose. This sounds ridiculous but if you actually try it it makes the exact sound he makes at night, I've tried it several times. If you have any clue on what this could be I would greatly appreciate it if I heard back from you. Thanks!

[National Jewish Health]

What you describe suggests 2 possibilities, the first most likely:  1) a sleep disorder such as obstructive sleep apnea or 2) gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), which is the back-up of stomach contents into the esophagus, not always accompanied by heartburn, with aspiration into his larynx and vocal cords.  He will probably have to have a sleep study.

There is evidence to suggest that portable home sleep testing, such as SNAP Laboratories, LLC, Wheeling, Illinois, may be an accurate, much less expensive, reasonable alternative to traditional testing in a sleep laboratory.

You should check with his doctor or with the director of the nearest hospital sleep laboratory on the availability of this type of testing.