[ovi256]

> I stopped breathing whenever I started drifting off, and it felt like my body would then jump-start itself and violently kick me back awake

That sounds a lot like sleep apnea, and will kill prematurely if left untreated. You should get a sleep study to check that.

[spazrunaway]

I did an overnight oximetry test for that a few months ago, it was apparently fine.