A new study revealed that not getting enough sleep increases the risk of blood clots.

According to the British newspaper "The Sun," researchers in Sweden found that lack of sleep increases the chances of blood vessel blockage in the legs.

The study tracked disease rates among 650,000 adults and compared them to their nightly sleep duration.

It found that sleeping less than seven to nine hours raises the risk of arterial blockage.

For his part, Shuai Yuan from the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm said: "Sleeping 7 to 8 hours a night is a good habit to reduce the risk of peripheral artery disease."

One in every five Britons over 60 suffers from this condition, increasing the risk of heart attack and stroke.

It is the most common condition among smokers and people with diabetes, high blood pressure, or high cholesterol.

It can also cause severe pain when walking, numbness, brittle nails, and ulcers.

Additionally, researchers compared the number of people who sleep with whether they had developed this condition. They then analyzed their genetic data to assess whether sleep affects the chances of developing peripheral artery disease or vice versa.

Sleeping less than 5 hours a night was associated with nearly double the risk of disease compared to 7 to 8 hours.