During normal sleep, blood pressure drops. Having trouble sleeping means that your blood pressure stays high for a longer period of time. Sleep is believed to help the body control the hormones needed to control stress and metabolism. Over time, lack of sleep can cause changes in hormones.
Hormonal changes can cause high blood pressure and other risk factors for heart disease. As discovered in previous studies, the new analysis also showed a relationship between high blood pressure and sleeping too little or too much. People who slept less than seven or more than nine hours were 20 to 30% more likely to have high blood pressure. People whose sleep duration varied by two hours or more from night to night were 85% more likely to have high blood pressure than those who slept less than an hour each night.
Blood pressure is also related to sleep patterns. A previous study found that sleeping less than six hours a night increases the risk of developing hypertension by 20 percent. According to experts, so-called “people who sleep little” activate two main stress systems: the HPA (hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal system) and the sympathomedullary system, which causes the release of stress hormones cortisol and adrenaline. While safe when needed during the day, the constant presence of these stress hormones at night can cause resistant hypertension.
Sleeping late was also associated with a higher chance of high blood pressure, but less than not going to bed on time. Resistant hypertension is defined as blood pressure that remains above the target target when at least three pharmacological treatments, including a diuretic, fail to control blood pressure. A sleep study can better determine the amount and quality of the sleep you get at night and can also diagnose sleep apnea. In the new study, researchers analyzed sleep patterns over a nine-month period in 12,287 adults with and without high blood pressure from 20 countries.
The American Heart Association recommends that adults get seven to nine hours of sleep a night to promote optimal heart and brain health. The recommendation is based on previous research that found that people who sleep less than six hours a night on average are at much higher risk of high blood pressure, obesity, cardiovascular disease and premature death. For people who have trouble sleeping or staying asleep at night, a sleep study may uncover a problem that can be treated and help reduce the risk of developing high blood pressure. Reena Mehra, professor of medicine and director of the Sleep Disorders Research Program at the Cleveland Clinic Sleep Disorders Center in Ohio.
Sleeping less than 7 hours for several nights in a row can increase blood pressure and the risk of developing hypertension. Talk to your healthcare provider if you feel tired even after sleeping all night, especially if you snore. Stress, jet lag, shift work, and other sleep disorders increase the chances of developing heart disease and risk factors for heart disease, such as obesity and diabetes. Talk to your healthcare provider for advice on how to sleep better, especially if you have high blood pressure.
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