Can lack of sleep cause high blood pressure?
Yes, a lack of sleep can raise blood pressure. Blood pressure normally dips at night, and short or broken sleep steals that recovery window. Regularly sleeping under six hours is linked with higher daytime pressure.
Sleep apnea is the strongest link: hundreds of tiny awakenings a night keep stress hormones high, and it is a common hidden cause of stubborn hypertension.
If you snore loudly, wake unrefreshed or doze in the day, take a sleep apnea screen before assuming the pressure is unexplained.
Source: NHS, high blood pressure
See a doctor promptly if
- Falling asleep while driving, or any near-miss caused by sleepiness. Stop driving and seek medical advice
- Witnessed pauses in breathing, or waking choking or gasping
- Sleep apnea symptoms with blood pressure that stays high despite treatment, or with an irregular heartbeat
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