Thank you I will definitely ask both of my doctors about this!To me, this is a strong signal that sleep disordered breathing is going on. Keep in mind that the airway doesn't need to close off completely to activate your stress response and jolt your brain out of sleep. Your sympathetic nervous system is highly dominant and the slightest resistance in airflow could trigger this kind of response. If it's happening when you lie on your back, it's probably happening to some degree on your side as well.