More history is needed,does he snore or is he  having nasal obstruction.If he snores and has recurrent spells of complete stoppage of respiration it's OSA.

Mostly he is having OSAS ,Consult online with detailed history for further evaluation.

He could be having obstructive sleep apnoea (osa), for proper diagnosis he needs evaluation and sleep study

Hi. Yes, waking up repeatedly during the night because of inability to breathe properly could be a sign of sleep apnea. However, we need to assess few more details before confirming the diagnosis. Does he snore at night? How much is his body weight? I would recommend that he visit a doctor for complete assessment including a detailed ENT examination. A sleep study (monitoring of heart rate, breathing pattern, oxygen saturation and several other parameters throughout the night) would be helpful in confirming the diagnosis. Regards, Dr. Aanchal, Therapeia centre, Bangalore