The present invention is directed to a method of treating disordered control of breathing including the treatment of apnea and hypoventilation associated with congenital or acquired brain stem abnormalities. Specifically the invention is directed to treating disordered control of breathing by administering an S-nitrosylating agent selected from the group consisting of ethyl nitrite, glutathione, nitric oxide, S-nitrosocysteine, S-nitrosoglutathione, S-nitroso-L-cysteinyl glycine, N-acetyl cysteine and S-nitroso-N-acetyl cysteine. As shown in FIG. 1C the ability of endogenous SNOs to increase V.sub.E in freely behaving, conscious rats using whole-body plethysmography revealed that CSNO, GSNO and CGSNO (1 nmol each) caused equivalent increases in V.sub.E, whereas D-CSNO had no effect (left bar graph is the control whereas the right bar represents administration of the respective SNO).