In this episode of Sleep Is My Waking Passion, Dr. Alison Kole sits down with 25‑year‑old Xavier Schuman, who went from “just partying,” working night shifts, and using a kratom pill to help him sleep… to turning blue, going into cardiac arrest, and waking up days later in the ICU. Together, they unpack how alcohol, kratom, and untreated sleep apnea collided to create a perfect storm: terrifying gasping and choking during sleep, the moment his dad started CPR, and the real physiology behind how these substances can shut down your breathing and destabilize your heart. You’ll hear the story straight from Xavier—what he remembers, what his family saw, and how his follow‑up sleep study and heart testing tell a very different story once the substances are removed.This conversation is also about hope and what comes after a near‑death experience. Xavier talks honestly about chronic alcoholism in his 20s, the surprising relief in his anxiety and depression after he stopped drinking, and the very real cravings and “little excuses” that still show up months into sobriety. If you recognize yourself or someone you love in this story, please don’t try to white‑knuckle it alone. Reaching out for help—calling an addiction helpline, connecting with a local treatment program, or walking into an AA/NA/SMART Recovery meeting—can be the moment everything starts to change. You are not weak for asking for support; you are choosing to stay alive and give yourself a different ending than the one Xavier narrowly escaped.

Ask this episode

“What did the council decide on item 42?” — answered with the speaker and the moment.