Key Points
- Not sleeping enough can make your chances of having high blood pressure go up.
- Women might have a slightly higher risk than men if they don't get enough sleep.
- Problems like sleep apnea could be the reason why.
On Wednesday, March 27, 2024, researchers shared that not getting enough sleep can lead to high blood pressure. They looked at 16 studies from 2000 to 2023 with more than 1 million people from six different countries. They found that people who sleep less than seven hours a night are more likely to get high blood pressure.
If you only sleep about five hours each night, your risk goes up even more. The researchers from Tehran Heart Center in Iran said that sleeping less than seven hours can increase your chance of getting high blood pressure later on.
They'll share more about their research on April 7 at the American College of Cardiology's annual meeting.
Over five years, they watched how sleep affected people's heart health. They made sure to consider other things that could affect heart health, like how old people are, whether they smoke, their weight, and their education.
They noticed that not getting enough sleep affected men and women a bit differently, with women facing a slightly higher risk.
The exact reason why bad sleep leads to heart problems isn't totally clear. It could be because of eating too much, drinking alcohol, working at night, taking certain medicines, feeling anxious or depressed, or having sleep problems like sleep apnea. Sleep apnea, in particular, is known for causing heart problems. So, if you're not sleeping well, it's a good idea to check if you have sleep apnea.
Since this information was shared at a medical conference, it's still early, and the findings will need to be checked more before we know for sure.
What This Means For You Getting a good night's sleep, about 7 or 8 hours, could help you avoid getting high blood pressure.
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