How does he do while he is sleeping with the sleeping aid? Is he still struggeling to breath then? If not maybe it is stress but I would keep looking into it. If he does start taking the anxiety medince it might take a while for it to kick in. Unless it is one of the fast acting temporary kind of medicine like xanax or valuim. Keep a close eye on him.
Hi
Thanks for writing to the forum!
Yes, anxiety is definitely a factor you cannot rule out. One may not be aware that he is anxious but he will be.
The other possibility is cervical nerve compression at the level of cervical vertebrae. Spondylotic changes in vertebrae, slipped disc, disc protrusion, canal stenosis, degenerative bone disease, herniated disc, bone disease, cancer or TB of the vertebra or bad posture can all cause pressure on the nerves. Bad posture is the commonest reason for this. A chiropractor can help you out. If symptoms persist then you would need to consult a neurologist. A MRI is required to find the cause.
Obstructive disease of the lungs like asthma is another possibility that can be investigated.
It is difficult to comment beyond this at this stage.
Hope this helps. Please let me know if there is any thing else and do keep me posted. Take care!