Heart attack is often attributed to unhealthy lifestyle decisions, but there are other risk factors to watch out for. One warning sign is associated with how a person sleeps.

Heart attacks happen when an artery supplying your heart with blood and oxygen becomes blocked, usually by a blood clot. The most common underlying cause of blood clots is coronary heart disease (CHD), a process whereby coronary arteries (the major blood vessels that supply the heart with blood) become clogged with deposits of cholesterol. If sleep disturbance is a common experience for you, it could be the hidden warning sign of an impending heart attack.

Sleep is essential for a person to have a healthy heart.

Those who don’t sleep enough are at higher risk for cardiovascular disease and coronary heart disease—regardless of age, weight, smoking and exercise habits, say health experts.

Researchers understand that sleeping too little causes disruptions in underlying health conditions and biological processes like glucose metabolism, blood pressure, and inflammation. 

Express, UK