Blood Pressure and Sleep

Adequate and, above all, restorative sleep is important. The body needs this rest period to recover. How important this is for the blood pressure values has been demonstrated in various studies.

Sleep duration and sleep quality

For example, researchers looked at whether objectively measured sleep duration and sleep intensity are linked to the likelihood of developing high blood pressure over the next five years. The results showed that independent of a number of other factors studied sleeping less than eight hours and poor sleep quality have a significant impact on blood pressure.

The chance of developing high blood pressure increased by 37 percent for each hour of sleep missed. With less than six hours of sleep per night, the risk of high blood pressure was even 70 percent higher.

In another study of more than 1,000 primary care patients, 51 percent of short sleepers (less than five hours) had high blood pressure. In contrast, only 31 percent of seven-hour sleepers had elevated blood pressure.

Causes

Scientists suspect that sleep deficit triggers activation of the hypothalamicpituitaryadrenal axis, also called the stress axis. This can lead to increased release of the stress hormone cortisol. Cortisol narrows blood vessels and thereby raises blood pressure.

How long it takes to fall asleep

Another study examined how long it took participants to fall asleep in relation to higher blood pressure. In this study, people with sleep disorders lasting more than six months were compared with a control group of normal sleepers. About half of the participants had fallen asleep within 14 minutes. Those who took longer to fall asleep had a fourfold increased risk of high blood pressure. For participants who remained awake for more than 17 minutes before falling asleep, the risk rose to five times higher.

This again showed the effect of an over-aroused baseline state: although people complained of tiredness, they could not relax enough to fall asleep.

Sleep apnea

Sleep apnea can lead to high blood pressure. Read our article on the connection between blood pressure and sleep apnea.

Sources

This article comes from BloodPressureDB – the leading app since 2011 that helps hundreds of thousands monitor their blood pressure every day. Our content is based on carefully researched, evidence-based data and is continuously updated (as of 04/2024).

Author Sabine Croci is a qualified medical assistant with many years of experience in internal medicine and cardiology practices as well as in outpatient care, and has led BloodPressureDB's specialist editorial team since 2015. Thanks to her extensive additional qualifications as a paramedic, first responder and in various therapy and emergency areas, she provides solid, practical and reliably reviewed information.