I have just written this article:
                "Avoid a choking death in your sleep".
which is based upon my own experiences.

I would like to know:
1.  Do the matters described accord with the experiences of any
readers ?
2.  Is my solution likely to be helpful to anyone-else ?

********************************************************************
START  OF  ARTICLE:

This describes a problem I encountered and how I seem to have solved
it.  The solution appears to work for me so perhaps it might help you
too, or help someone you know.

********  The problem:

When I suffer from a cold or influenza my lungs produce lots of mucous
which I need to cough up.  A similar condition afflicts those who
suffer from emphysema.

During sleep this mucous tends to travel up my trachea (windpipe)
until it reaches my epiglottis.  This is where the trouble starts,
because nerves are stimulated which normally serve to protect the
lungs from the ingress of foreign material (like food particles).  The
result is that my epiglottis shuts tight, cutting-off my air supply.

In these circumstances I am forced awake in a state of extreme
physical distress.  My body demands oxygen but I can't breathe.  It
seems that I have only seconds to clear my larynx or lose
consciousness and die.

Usually I propel myself out of bed, crashing face down on the floor.
The air remaining in my lungs I force out through my mouth, and
usually this blows the mucous out of my blocked larynx, allowing me to
breathe again.  But this is always a traumatic experience.  I am
covered in sweat, and need to relax in a chair for some time before
reluctantly returning to bed.

In fact, when my lungs are in a bad state, for example at the end of a
cold, I view my approaching bedtime with trepidation and fear.  In
such circumstances I have considered trying to sleep sitting in an
armchair, but I am unaccustomed to this and it is not easy.

********  The solution:

In desperation, therefore, I have arranged for my bed to slope
downwards at the foot end.  Because the bed is cheaply constructed the
only really solid parts are the four legs.  Each is attached with a
central screw thread.  So it is a straightforward matter to unscrew
the two legs at the foot end whenever this is needed.

The angle of slope thus produced happens to be about 6½ degrees (by
trigonometry).  There is, of course, a tendency for my body to slide
downwards towards the foot of the bed.  But this is something to which
I can adapt.  The benefits of the 6½ degree slope were immediately
evident.  The mucous in my lungs now remains in place during sleep
thus permitting me to pass an undisturbed night.

The optimum angle of slope might vary according to individual needs
and can be determined only by trial-and-error.  The slope could be
increased by supporting the two remaining legs on bricks, for example,
or reduced by re-attaching shortened legs to the foot end.

London, April 2006.