Sleep Apnea probably. See a doctor, quit smoking, lose some weight, etc

Breathing problems while sleeping is most often sleep apnea. Sleep apnea can be treated through the use of a CPAP machine (Continuos Positive Air Pressure). You wear a mask that forces air in to your nose. While many overweight people experience sleep apnea (excessive fat renders the tissues in the soft palette and airway too soft), it can also be caused by an airway that is just too small, a tongue that is too large for your airway or other physical configurations that block airflow. You will need to see a specialty doctor, complete a sleep survey (several pages answering questions about your sleep havits), and then stay a night in a clinic for a sleep study where your they measure the number of times per minute or hour you stop breathing and then how much pressure is needed in the CPAP machine is needed for your body to breathe properly. In the meantime, take a decongestant at night and sleep slightly propped up, so that you are almost sitting in bed at a 45 degree angle. If you are not comfortable that way, sleep flat on you back but without a pillow at all, so that you neck is straight, elongating your airway. If you are overweight, consider that losing just 10% of your current weight can make a huge difference. Both of these positions work for me. There is also a kind of sleep apnea, far less common, which is caused by the brains inability or failure to send the appropriate message to the lungs. Visit this website for more info: http://www.sleepapnea.org/ Either way, sleep apnea is very serious and can lead to chronic sleep deprivation and even heart failure.