Many are wondering whether sleep is associated with one's blood pressure. Experts confirmed that it's indeed the case. Check out what they had to say about the matter.
Can Lack of Sleep Cause High Blood Pressure?
The health of your heart depends on sleep. The American Heart Association has added adequate sleep to its list of the "Life's Essential 8" for maintaining and enhancing cardiovascular health, recognizing its significance.
Adults who sleep for fewer than seven hours a night are more likely to report having health issues, such as asthma, depression, and heart attacks. These issues increase the risk of heart disease, heart attack, and stroke. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) also noted that health conditions like high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, and obesity are associated with lack of sleep.
According to a body of research, inadequate sleep duration and quality are significantly linked to poor blood pressure control; whether this association is causal or not is less obvious, according to cardiologist Ashish Sarraju, MD, per Cleveland Clinic.
In other words, many risk factors contribute to hypertension, and sleep deprivation is among them. Our age, diet, level of exercise, whether or not we smoke, and family history are some additional variables.
Nocturnal dipping is a phenomenon that can happen while you sleep. According to Dr. Sarraju, nocturnal dipping is the notion that our blood pressure dips during the night.
Our blood pressure decreases by roughly 10% while we are asleep. It may be related to our natural circadian cycle, according to researchers. Dr. Sarraju argues that this makes sense because being awake demands our hearts more.
The medical expert noted that dipping won't occur if we don't sleep properly or for a long enough period. And that's a problem because nighttime non-dipping has been linked to higher hypertension and cardiovascular risk.
Francisco Lopez-Jimenez, M.D., also shared the same opinion. According to him, it's possible that sleep deprivation can cause high blood pressure because "the less you sleep, the higher your blood pressure go." He added that people who only sleep six hours tend to have a steeper increase in their blood pressure. Those with high blood pressure are reportedly at risk of worsening their condition if they do not get enough sleep.
How to Get Better Sleep
CDC offered some tips for you to enjoy a restful night. Here are some of the things you can do to get enough sleep.
- Maintain a consistent sleeping routine. Go to bed at the same hour and wake up at the same time daily, including weekends.
- Make sure you have adequate natural light, especially in the morning. Consider taking a walk in the morning or at lunch.
- Get adequate exercise throughout the day. Try to avoid working out right before going to bed.
- Avoid artificial light, particularly in the few hours before night. Utilize a blue light filter on your smartphone or computer.
- Avoid alcohol and foods heavy in fat or sugar right before night. Avoid eating or drinking within a few hours of going to sleep.
- Your bedroom should be cold, quiet, and dark.
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