Sleeping in this habit can increase health risks: why specialists recommend avoiding it.
Going to bed should be the safest time of day. However, for millions of people, nighttime has become a silent, high-risk environment for the heart and brain.
The story of Roberto, a 68-year-old man, active, with no serious medical history, and seemingly healthy, starkly illustrates this. He died in his sleep, painlessly, without warning. The immediate cause was a massive heart attack, but the real trigger had been silently working for years during his nights.
This is not an isolated case. It reflects a combination of very common nighttime mistakes that, if repeated, can lead to heart attacks and strokes while we sleep.
Below, we break down the five most dangerous mistakes and, most importantly, what to do to avoid them.
1. Sleeping on Your Back with Sleep Apnea: The Silent Suffocation
The most lethal mistake is ignoring obstructive sleep apnea, especially when sleeping on your back.
Loud snoring, pausing for seconds at a time, gasping during the night, or waking up tired are not normal. These are clear signs that the airway is repeatedly collapsing while you sleep, causing sudden drops in oxygen levels.
Each pause in breathing triggers an emergency reaction:
Increased blood pressure
Adrenaline surge
Rapid heart rate
Constant micro-awakenings
Hundreds of these episodes can occur in a single night. It’s like subjecting your heart to an extreme marathon without rest.
Sleeping on your back makes everything worse. Gravity pushes the tongue and palate backward, further narrowing the airway and multiplying the risk.
What to do
SEE CONTINUES ON THE NEXT PAGE
