When you sit for long periods, blood and water pool in your legs. If you sit long enough and collect a great deal of fluid in your legs, when you lie down to go to sleep, gravity causes this fluid to flow to your neck. In some people, so much fluid moves to their necks that it puts pressure on the throat, causing it to collapse from the pressure, leading to obstructive sleep apnea and making it difficult to breathe and get a good night’s sleep.

Self-defense: Take a walk every hour while you’re at work to prevent fluid retention in your legs.