Blood Pressure and Sleep

Adequate and especially restorative sleep is important. The body needs this rest phase for regeneration. Various studies have demonstrated how important this is in relation to the blood pressure values.

Duration and Quality of Sleep

For example, it was investigated whether the objectively measured sleep duration and sleep intensity are related to the likelihood of developing high blood pressure in the next five years. The result showed that - regardless of a number of other variables also studied - a sleep duration of less than eight hours and poor sleep quality have a significant impact on blood pressure values.

The likelihood of developing high blood pressure increased by 37 percent for each hour of missing sleep. With a sleep duration of less than six hours daily, a 70 percent higher risk of high blood pressure was even observed.

In another study, more than 1,000 general practice patients were examined, revealing that 51 percent of short sleepers with a sleep duration of less than five hours suffered from high blood pressure. In the group of seven-hour sleepers, however, only 31 percent had elevated blood pressure values.

Causes

The scientists suspect that the reason is the activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis due to sleep deficit, which is also referred to as the stress axis. This can lead to an increased release of the stress hormone cortisol. This hormone constricts blood vessels and thereby increases blood pressure.

Time to Fall Asleep

Another study focused on the duration it took for a subject to fall asleep in correlation with elevated blood pressure values. In this study, subjects with sleep disorders lasting more than six months were compared with a control group of normal sleepers. About half of the participants fell asleep within 14 minutes at the latest. Those who took longer to fall asleep showed a fourfold increased risk of high blood pressure. Among participants who lay awake for more than 17 minutes before falling asleep, this risk even increased to five times.

Thus, the effect of an overexcited baseline state was also evident here, as although people complained of fatigue, 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

By Sabine Croci. This article is medically reviewed. Last updated (04/2024).
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