I am sleep disordered and I have learned many techniques to help me get the rest I am in need of. First off many people have OSA and are not even aware of it. If you are taking any kind of medicines that have a relaxing effect on muscles it can contribute to the airway relaxing and becomming obstructed. That will give you the sensation of soffocating. A sleep study might be in order if you snore or have this sensation or if you find yourself waking up frequently during the night. Also if you seem to sleep for a good bit of time but do not wake up rrefeshed.

Aside from my Cpap I also meditate daily. I keep my room as dark as possible (you can also use a sleep mask), Keeping the room cooler at around 65-68 degrees is ideal. Try not to nap more than 20 minutes a day and not after 4pm.

There are natural sleep aids such as melatonin or tryptophan or valarian root that can be used alone or together to help promote sleep but make sure to check with your doctor and/or pharmasist before using any of them. A ritual before bed is a good idea as are set bed times and wake up times.

For anyone interested there is an online site for sleep disorders called Talkaboutsleep.com.