Sleep deprivation: Can it cause high blood pressure?

A report published in the May 2006 medical journal Hypertension suggests that long-term sleep deprivation increases the risk of high blood pressure (hypertension).

Researchers analyzed data for 4,810 participants, who were between the ages of 32 and 86 years old. Among participants between the ages of 32 and 59 years, those who slept less than six hours a night had more than double the risk of high blood pressure than did those who slept more than six hours a night. This association was not significant in participants older than 59 years.

Previous studies have linked sleep apnea with cardiovascular disease. But it was unclear if sleep deprivation also affected blood pressure in people who didn't have a sleep disorder.

According to researchers involved in the current study, people who sleep for only short periods — less than six hours a night — increase their average 24-hour blood pressure and heart rate. Over time, this may lead to persistent high blood pressure.

Additional studies are needed to better understand the role of sleep deprivation in high blood pressure. But this study suggests that increasing the amount and quality of sleep may play a role in the treatment and prevention of high blood pressure in people younger than age 60.