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
Sleep on your side, especially your left side.
Use pillows or a barrier behind your back.
Elevate the head of your bed by 15 to 20 cm (6 to 8 inches).
Consult a sleep specialist if you experience loud snoring or breathing pauses.
2. Using sleeping pills: a dangerous trap
Many people turn to sleeping pills seeking rest, but certain drugs can drastically worsen nighttime breathing.
Benzodiazepines and hypnotics:
Depress the nervous system.3. Sleeping in an overly warm bedroom
For the body to enter deep sleep, the internal temperature must drop slightly. Sleeping in a warm environment forces the heart to work harder during the night.
This causes:
Increased heart rate4. Eating a late and heavy dinner
A heavy dinner before bed keeps the body in “active mode” when it should be repairing itself.
This leads to:
Intense digestion during the night
