Can a lack of sleep cause high blood pressure?

Is it true that not getting enough sleep can cause high blood pressure?

Answer From Francisco Lopez-Jimenez, M.D.

Possibly. Sleep experts recommend that adults get 7 to 9 hours of sleep each night. Getting less than six hours of sleep is known to be bad for overall health. Stress, jet lag, shift work and other things that disturb sleep make heart disease more likely. Not getting enough sleep makes you more likely to have risk factors for heart disease, including obesity and diabetes. A regular lack of sleep may lead to high blood pressure, also called hypertension, in children and adults.

The less you sleep, the higher your blood pressure may go. People who sleep six hours or less may have steeper increases in blood pressure. If you already have high blood pressure, not sleeping well may make your blood pressure worse.

Experts think that sleep helps the body control hormones needed to control stress and metabolism. Over time, a lack of sleep could cause swings in hormones. Hormone changes can lead to high blood pressure and other risk factors for heart disease.

Don’t try to make up for a lack of sleep with a lot of sleep. Too much sleep is not as bad as too little sleep. But too much sleep can lead to high blood sugar and weight gain, which can affect heart health. Talk to your healthcare professional for tips on getting better sleep, especially if you have high blood pressure.

One possible cause of poor sleep that can play a part in high blood pressure is obstructive sleep apnea. This treatable condition causes breathing to stop and start many times during sleep. As a result, sleep is light and not restorative. Talk with your healthcare professional if you feel tired even after a full night’s sleep, especially if you snore. Obstructive sleep apnea may be the cause. Obstructive sleep apnea can raise the risk of high blood pressure and other heart conditions.