Hypertension affects 48.1% of American adults, according to the CDC. Also called high blood pressure, this dangerous condition pushes the heart to work harder to pump blood throughout the body. Over time, hypertension can lead to cardiac disease, strokes, vision issues, cognitive decline, and kidney failure.
Luckily, hypertension is very treatable through lifestyle changes. One such lifestyle change you may not have thought of is sleep. The quantity and quality of your sleep may significantly impact your blood pressure readings. Read on to understand the connection and what you can do to harness the power of healthy sleep against hypertension.
How Sleep Impacts Blood Pressure
Your body’s internal clock follows a 24-hour circadian rhythm. During this cycle, biological processes such as body temperature, hormone levels, and blood pressure fluctuate between higher and lower states.
Blood pressure experiences a natural dip during sleep. Doctors call this nocturnal dipping. It allows your cardiovascular system some relief after the demands of being awake all day. Ideally, blood pressure drops by 10-20% overnight.
If you fail to get adequate sleep, nocturnal dipping cannot fully occur. Sleep disorders such as insomnia and sleep apnea may disrupt this essential blood pressure recovery time even more. The result may be a loss of the cardioprotective effects of lower nighttime blood pressure readings.
Over time, loss of nocturnal dipping may cause impairment of blood flow regulation. This dysfunction may allow hypertension to develop and become chronic.
Too Little Sleep
Not getting the recommended seven to nine hours of sleep for adults seems to be linked with an increase in hypertension risk. Here’s what happens in your body when you skimp on sleep:
- Increased stress hormone production: Cortisol and adrenaline levels spike. These hormones constrict blood vessels and may raise your heart rate and blood pressure.
- Elevated sympathetic nervous system activity: Greater fight-or-flight signaling causes faster heart rate and constriction of blood vessels, which may increase blood pressure acutely.
- Decreased melatonin: This sleep-regulating hormone appears to act as a natural blood pressure-lowering agent. Less sleep means less melatonin production, which may contribute to higher blood pressure.
Research confirms the influence of insufficient sleep on next-day blood pressure levels. A Mayo study found that participants who only got four hours of sleep per night for nine nights had an average systolic blood pressure that was 10 mmHg higher than when they got nine hours of sleep per night.
Poor Sleep Quality
You can rack up nightly sleep hour totals and still suffer from poor sleep quality. Frequent awakenings and the inability to reach the restorative deeper stages of sleep may interfere with your blood pressure lowering at night. Underlying causes of poor sleep quality include:
Sleep apnea: Breathing stoppages jar you out of sound sleep all night long and may raise blood pressure.- Restless leg syndrome: Uncomfortable leg sensations create difficulty falling and staying asleep. This may contribute to increased hypertension risk.
- Insomnia: A racing mind and tension into the night cause light, fragmented sleep that may lead to blood pressure dysregulation.
- Bladder issues: Waking up to urinate interrupts sleep cycles, potentially preventing your blood pressure from dipping sufficiently at night.
- Chronic pain: Discomfort leads to a lack of quality rest and sleep deprivation, which may lead to high blood pressure.
Essential Sleep Tips for Healthy Blood Pressure
Because quality sleep may significantly impact blood pressure, it’s essential to develop good daily sleep habits. Prioritizing the following tips will get your nights back on track and may lower hypertension risk:
- Commit to a set sleep schedule: Your body loves consistency. Go to bed and wake at the same times daily, even on weekends and vacations.
- Develop a relaxing bedtime routine: Unwind early by dimming lights, avoiding electronics, taking a bath, sipping herbal tea, practicing meditation, or employing gentle yoga poses. Quieting your nervous system prepares you for restful sleep.
- Make your bedroom a sleep sanctuary: Block out light and noise by installing blackout window treatments. Keep electronics out of the bedroom to maintain a space free of distractions.
- Watch what you eat and drink at night: Finish meals 2-3 hours before bed to allow digestion before sleep. Avoid alcohol, coffee, and other stimulants for 3-4 hours pre-bedtime. They negatively impact sleep cycles.
- Consider bed modifications for apnea: Discuss with your doctor whether a bed wedge pillow to raise your upper body or a side sleeping body pillow may open up breathing passages at night if you snore loudly or have sleep apnea.
- Keep moving: Regular physical activity helps regulate nerve signaling and hormone balance to lower blood pressure. Light walking after dinners and gentle yoga help prepare your body for better sleep.
- Address chronic pain: Work with your doctor on safe exercise regimens, medications, stress-relief tactics, and mattress comfort to ease pain keeping you up at night. Quality pain management promotes quality sleep.
- Supplement as needed: Relaxation-promoting supplements such as magnesium, lavender essential oil capsules, melatonin, or tart cherry juice may help some people fall asleep and stay asleep. Ask your doctor about possible supplements that may be effective for you.
When to See Your Doctor
If you have very high blood pressure upon awakening, even after making sleep adjustments on your own, speak to your physician promptly. Extreme morning hypertension along with symptoms such as loud snoring, chronic insomnia, or frequent urination suggests an underlying condition in need of diagnosis and care.
Sleep studies check for issues such as sleep apnea, which require treatments such as CPAP airway pressure devices used while sleeping to correct breathing irregularities. Continuing on your path of interrupted sleep risks further blood pressure elevation and associated dangers such as stroke or heart attack.
Regain Balance with Imperial Center Family Medicine
Blood pressure and sleep share an undeniably close relationship. Failing to get enough healthy sleep prevents your body from adequately lowering blood pressure overnight. In the short term, skipping sleep may result in next-day blood pressure spikes. Over longer periods, lack of quality sleep may promote the development of hypertension.
The Imperial Center Family Medicine team in Durham, NC understands that healthy sleep is foundational for your overall health and well-being and could contribute to keeping chronic conditions such as hypertension under control. Our caring providers listen closely to all your health concerns including fatigue, insomnia, pain, and other obstacles hindering rejuvenating sleep.
Contact us at 919-873-4437 or through our site to learn more about our personalized programs supporting healthy blood pressure and beyond through all aspects of well-rounded care, including sleep improvement.