Poor Sleep Can Raise Your Blood Pressure: Things You Can Do

Have you ever thought, Why do we need to sleep? Okay, your answer might be that we get tired and we need time to take rest for a fresh start, which is true but here is the thing, just like a machine needs to be repaired consistently to function well, similarly, sleep is like a repair time for our body. So when we do not sleep well our body suffers and the real serious problem that poor sleep can bring is high blood pressure and when blood pressure stays high for a long period of time then it becomes dangerous for the heart. In this article we will see how poor sleep can raise your blood pressure and what simple steps you can take to protect your health.

If you sleep deeply your blood pressure will automatically go down and will provide your heart and blood vessels with rest. But if your sleep is broken, short or light then dipping will not happen and this makes your blood vessels stay tight and your heart work harder. Also lack of sleep can raise stress hormones in the body which squeeze blood vessels and push your blood pressure higher. Over weeks and months this extra pressure can turn into sustained high blood pressure or hypertension.

You may not always know right away that poor sleep is affecting your blood pressure but you may feel tired or irritable or wake up often at night. If you also have headaches, dizziness or your doctor finds your blood pressure is rising over many visits then these are red flags and you should take it seriously. People who have sleep problems often have trouble falling asleep, waking up too early or feeling unrested even after enough hours of sleep so if you already have high blood pressure but your numbers are worse than expected your doctor might ask about your sleep habits and possible sleep disorders.

First one should aim for a good sleep every night and most adults need about seven to nine hours and note that sleeping less than seven hours is linked with greater risk of high blood pressure. Try to go to bed and wake up at the same time every day consistently and yes on weekends as well. This regular schedule will help your body clock work well and make your bedroom a calm space, how? keep it dark, quiet and cool ofcourse. Turn off screens at least thirty minutes before going to bed. Avoid drinks with caffeine in the evening and smoking as well. Also try gentle exercise during the day (not too close to bedtime). Breathing exercises or short meditation before bed can calm the mind.

So if you are already doing these steps and you are still feeling exhausted or you feel your blood pressure remains high then it is best for you to see a doctor. There is a chance that you have sleep disorder like apnea where people's breathing stops for a while during sleep and this disorder is known to raise blood pressure as well. The doctor may suggest a sleep study or treatments to improve your sleep. And when sleep is treated well your blood pressure may also get better.