You might think that changing your sleep schedule or losing an hour or two of sleep won’t really affect you. But, a new study from Flinders University in Australia says you should think again.
The Study and its Findings
The research shows that every hour of sleep that busy professionals or workers lose or change can greatly increase the chances of high blood pressure.
This is especially true for middle-aged men who are overweight.
The study was published in a medical journal called Hypertension. It’s one of the first studies of its kind, looking at how changing sleep patterns can affect blood pressure.
How They Conducted the Study
The researchers gathered sleep data from 12,287 adults. Most of these adults (88%) were men, and on average, they were overweight.
The team used a sensor under the mattress to track their sleep and remotely measured their blood pressure.
Each participant had about 30 blood pressure readings during the nine-month study.
What They Found Out
The researchers saw a strong connection between high blood pressure and irregular sleep times and duration. This suggests we should pay more attention to how our sleep and health are linked.
Dr. Hannah Scott, one of the lead authors of the study, said we should not only track how much we sleep, but we should also try to keep our sleep schedule as regular as possible.
For example, changing the time you go to bed by more than 30 minutes can raise the risk of high blood pressure by 32%. Also, changes in when you fall asleep and when you wake up can increase the risk.
Not getting enough sleep (less than six hours) or getting too much sleep (nine or more hours) can also raise blood pressure.
But this study shows that even if you get the suggested 7-9 hours of sleep, changing your sleep timing and duration can still be harmful.
The Conclusion and Future Research
Dr. Bastien Lechat, another author of the study, said that irregular sleep patterns are a clear risk marker for poor heart health.
The researchers also think that other health problems might be connected to these changes in sleep patterns, which they plan to explore in future studies.
Professor Danny Eckert, a senior sleep researcher at Flinders University, said that good sleep habits are vital for our physical and mental health.
He added that the study shows the risk of diseases like obesity, heart disease, and high blood pressure if we have poor sleep hygiene.
If you care about high blood pressure, please read studies that early time-restricted eating could help improve blood pressure, and coconut sugar could help reduce blood pressure and artery stiffness.
For more information about blood pressure, please read studies about a key contributor to high blood pressure, and your age may determine which blood pressure number matters most.
The study was published in Hypertension.
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