Did you mean that he stops
breathing 40 times every hour? If he has obstructive
sleep apnea,
and stops breathing 40 times every hour, it's in the moderate to severe range. Untreated, it can aggravate or lead to a variety of medical conditions such as high blood pressure, depression, obesity, heart disease, heart attack and stroke.
Unfortunately, this condition is a structural problem and needs to be dealt with in a physical manner.