You might think that changing your sleep schedule a little here and there isn’t a big deal, especially if you’re busy with late-night work or early meetings.
But new research shows that even small changes to your usual sleep routine could increase your risk of high blood pressure.
A team from Flinders University studied how sleep habits affect heart health. Their findings showed that changing your sleep schedule, even by just 30 minutes, can raise the chances of getting high blood pressure. This is especially true for middle-aged men who are overweight.
The study was large and used advanced technology. It looked at over 2 million nights of sleep data from more than 12,000 adults, most of whom were men. The researchers used special sensors placed under people’s mattresses to track their sleep at home.
They also checked participants’ blood pressure many times over a period of nine months. This gave a clear picture of how sleep affects heart health.
Dr. Hannah Scott, a sleep researcher at Flinders University, said that going to bed and waking up at the same time every day is very important.
People who often changed their bedtime by as little as 30 minutes were found to have a 32% higher risk of high blood pressure. And it wasn’t just about when they went to bed. Waking up at different times or having changes in the middle of the night also added to the risk.
This shows that changing your sleep routine too often can make your sleep more irregular. That irregularity can hurt your heart over time.
You may have heard that adults need 7 to 9 hours of sleep each night. While that’s true, this research says that how regular your sleep is might matter just as much as how long you sleep.
The study found that sleeping too little (less than six hours) or too much (more than nine hours) also increased blood pressure. But the timing of your sleep was just as important.
Dr. Bastien Lechat, another researcher on the study, said that both the amount and the regularity of sleep are important for keeping your heart healthy. If you go to bed and wake up at different times each day, your risk for high blood pressure may go up—even if you get enough sleep overall.
Professor Danny Eckert, a senior sleep expert, said the study helps us understand how important good sleep habits are. Sleep affects not only our energy levels and mood but also our heart and overall health. Poor sleep habits have been linked to obesity, heart disease, and other health problems.
In short, this research shows that sleep isn’t just about getting enough rest. A regular sleep schedule—same bedtime and wake-up time each day—can help protect your heart and lower your risk of high blood pressure.
If you’re concerned about blood pressure, other studies have shown that certain blood pressure pills might have unexpected side effects, and that some blood pressure drugs could affect memory. You can also read about treatments for high blood pressure and how eating foods rich in flavonoids might lower your risk of stroke.
If you care about high blood pressure, please read studies that early time-restricted eating could help improve blood pressure, and natural coconut sugar could help reduce blood pressure and artery stiffness.
For more information about blood pressure, please see recent studies about How to eat your way to healthy blood pressure and results showing that Modified traditional Chinese cuisine can lower blood pressure.
The study was published in the journal Hypertension.
Copyright © 2025 Knowridge Science Report. All rights reserved.
