A study has discovered that shortened sleep duration causes persistent elevation in 24-hour and sleep-time blood pressure, and this elevation is especially pronounced and sustained in women.
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Can Lack of Sleep Cause High Blood
Pressure?
Lack of sleep can cause high blood pressure. Experts
suggest that adults should get 7 to 8 hours of sleep each night. Having 6 hours
of sleep or less is bad for your overall health. Being stressed out, shift or
work schedule, jet lag, and other sleep interruptions or disturbances increases
your likelihood to develop cardiovascular disease and risk factors for heart
disease – such obesity and diabetes. Sleep deprivation can lead to an elevated
blood pressure or high blood pressure (hypertension) that can affect both children
and adults.
Individuals who sleep 6 hours or less will have higher
blood pressure. If you already have high blood pressure or hypertension, not
having enough sleep will only worsen your hypertension or blood pressure.
Sleeping helps your body control the hormones required
to regulate stress and metabolism. Lack of sleep causes swings in hormones and
leads to high blood pressure and other risk factors for cardiovascular disease.
It is not recommended that you try to make up for a
lack of sleep with a lot of sleep. Getting too much sleep, can lead to high
blood sugar and weight gain, which is also bad for your heart health. It is
suggested that you consult your health care professional for tips on getting a
good sleep especially when you have hypertension.
What Causes Lack of Sleep?
One of the causes for lack of sleep that is
contributing to high blood pressure or the development of hypertension is
obstructive sleep apnea – it is a sleep disorder where a person repeatedly stop
and start breathing during sleep. Consult your doctor if you feel tired even
after a full night’s sleep, especially if you snore. An obstructive sleep apnea
may be the cause behind sleeping concern. The obstructive sleep apnea increases
your risk of developing high blood pressure or hypertension and other cardiovascular-related
problems.
Lack of Sleep Increases Blood Pressure in
Women
Group of experts evaluated the impact of prolonged
sleep restriction on 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure and other cardiovascular
measures. Experts randomized 20 healthy young participants with average age of
23.4 years, 9 were females – to undergo a 16-day inpatient study, which included
4 days of acclimation, 9 days of sleep restriction (4 hours of sleep/night) or
control sleep (9 hours), and 3 days of recovery.
The participants adhered a weight maintenance diet
with controlled nutrient composition throughout the trial. They were on continuous
polysomnographic monitoring and underwent repeated measurements of 24-hour
blood pressure, the primary outcome, and cardiovascular biomarkers.
Comparing with control sleep, sleep restriction came
out in a marked increase in 24-hour blood pressure at day 12, attenuation in
endothelial function, and rise in plasma norepinephrine.
Moreover, with the sleep restriction group, blood
pressure was elevated while asleep and during recovery despite an increased
deep sleep.
The post hoc analysis revealed that 24-hour blood
pressure, wakefulness, and sleep blood pressure elevated during experimental
and recovery phases of sleep restriction in women but not in men. Female
participants revealed an increase of 8.0 mm/Hg in 24-hour systolic blood
pressure and 11.3 mm/Hg in sleep systolic blood pressure.
Outcomes recommend that women are more vulnerable to
the adverse cardiovascular effects of sleep loss or sleep deprivation.
Source: Hypertension 2021;doi:10.1161/HYPERTENSIONAHA.121.17622