According to doctors, noticing this sensation after you've gone to bed could be a warning sign that you have dangerously high cholesterol.

While it can have significant impacts on your health, the level of cholesterol in your bloodstream typically comes with no symptoms that could alert you to anything amiss.

"Initially as the arteries narrow, the pain comes on with exertion due to the muscles running out of oxygen faster, but as it gets worse the pain can come on at night," Jeff Foster, MD, a general practitioner and founder of H3 Health in the U.K., tells Daily Express.

RELATED: If You Notice This While Walking, It Could Be a Heart Attack Warning Sign.

If you're worried about keeping your cholesterol in check, you're not alone: the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says that 38 percent of American adults have elevated levels of it in their bloodstream.

The agency advises that keeping LDL levels in your bloodstream under control is essential in maintaining heart health, avoiding PAD, and lowering your risk of heart attack or stroke.

Besides the late phase leg pain that comes with PAD, the body typically shows no symptoms of high cholesterol and must be monitored through regular blood tests.

You can also combat cholesterol and decrease your risk of PAD by avoiding any tobacco products, which can speed up the hardening of the arteries and increase your risk of heart disease.

RELATED: If You Notice This When You Cough, It May Be a Sign of Heart Failure.