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Poor sleeping raises risk of high blood pressure 10-15-08
By Sue Mueller
A new study published in the Nov. 2008 issue of hypertension found that more
Americans than ever live with high blood pressure and many of them do not know
about their condition.
The study found the percentage of people with high blood pressure increased from
50.3 to 55.5 percent between 1994 and 2004 while the rate of hypertension
increased from 32.3 to 36.1 percent.
Paul D. Sorlie, Ph.D and colleagues, authors of the study, from the U.S.
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute attributed the ever-increasing number
of Americans with high blood pressure to the obesity epidemic and suggested that
more prevention effort needs to be invested in preventing obesity.
A reader from Maryland suggests that the increase may have something to do the
new guidelines on high blood pressure and in reality it may not be much of an
increase if there is any.
There is some explanation for the increase in the incidence of high blood
pressure. Obesity is one factor to blame. But studies point to another
possibility, that is, lack of sleep may serve as an important risk factor for
both children and adults.
A new study suggests that lack of sleep or poor sleep quality can be one of the
reasons that increase risk of high blood pressure at least in teens ages 13 to
16 years.
The study found healthy teens who slept less than 6.5 hours a night were 2.5
times more likely to have elevated blood pressure compared to their peers who
slept longer.
The study titled Sleep Quality and Elevated Blood Pressure in Adolescents was
published in the Aug. 19, 2008 issue of Circulation.
For the study, researchers followed 238 adolescents ages 13 to 16 years old
enrolled in the Cleveland Children's Sleep and Health Study to determine the
association between high blood pressure and sleep quality.
The researchers found those with poor sleep or low sleep efficiency had on
average 4 mm Hg higher systolic blood pressure and were 3.5 times more likely to
have pre-hypertension or hypertension than those who slept well.
Teens need at least 9 hours of sleep a night. But they regularly sleep less due
to a variety of reasons. The study subjects slept on average 7.7 hours with 11 %
sleeping 6.5 hours or less a night.
The findings do not mean that sleeping less per se resulted in high blood
pressure because there is no way to know the association is a causal relation.
But the possibility cannot be excluded.
An alternative explanation is that factors that contribute to poor sleep
including stress, and caffeine intake may affect blood pressure directly.
Lack of sleep also increases blood pressure in adults.
A middle-aged person who sleeps five or less hours a night may increase his risk
of high blood pressure, according to a study published in the April 2006 issue
of Hypertension, Journal of the American Heart Association.
"Sleep allows the heart to slow down and blood pressure to drop for a
significant part of the day," said lead author James E. Gangwisch, PhD at
Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health said
"However, people who sleep for only short durations raise their average 24-hour
blood pressure and heart rate. This may set up the cardiovascular system to
operate at an elevated pressure."
Gangwisch and colleagues found people who slept five or fewer hours per night
were more likely to be diagnosed with hypertension even after other risk factors
such as obesity, diabetes, physical activity, salt and alcohol consumption
smoking and depression were considered.
The Gangwisch's study followed 4,810 people ages 32 to 86 for eight to 10 years.
Participants did not have high blood pressure at baseline and at the end of
follow-up, 647 became hypertensive.
According to these researchers, lack of sleep can be a risk factor.
High blood pressure if left untreated can increase the risk for heart disease,
stroke, congestive heart failure, and kidney disease later in life. The
condition is believed to kill about 300,000 people in the United States each
year.
An estimated 30 percent of American adults suffer hypertension with the highest
rate in African Americans and the lowest rate in Mexican Americans. And about 28
percent of people have pre-hypertension.
High blood pressure is known by some as a silent killer and at least one third
of the patients actually are not aware of their having the condition, according
to an official document from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Comment:
Insomnia is a terrible debilitating problem. There is hope beyond Sonata, Halcion, Ambian etc.. in natural medicine. Try these items in order adding the next one to the one you are taking until you are sleeping like a baby. These brands have been tested and work, other brands of these products may not.
Kava Kava 2 -4capsules
Blend these essential oils together in a 5ml Dropper Bottle : 25 drops each: Valerian Root, Roman Chamomile, Serenity, Blue Tansy, Bergamot and use 2-5 drops nightly, applied to your forehead or taken in an empty gelcap
Diffuse equal amounts of Lavender essential oil and Bergamot Essential Oil
Celestial Seasonings Sleepytime Tea
Melatonin 3-5 mg lozenges 1-2 per night get 2 stage time release if that doesn't work
5HTP (5-Hydroxytryptophan Griffonia Simplicifolia) 100-200 mg Soloray is my favorite
Natural Balance l-tryptophan 500mg
Natracare Sleepfix As Directed
Gaia California Poppy Extract (as Directed)
All the drugs or supplements in the world wont work if you have really bad
habits preventing sleep, like:
* Jet lag
* Changes in shift work
* Excessive or unpleasant noise
* Uncomfortable room temperature (too hot or too cold)
* Stressful situations in life (exam preparation, loss of a loved one,
unemployment, divorce, or separation)
* Presence of an acute medical or surgical illness or hospitalization
* Withdrawal from drug, alcohol, sedative, or stimulant medications
* Insomnia related to high altitude (mountains)
*Light in your room, room should be dark no nightlights etc..
* Newborns, pets, bothering you
* Snoring Partner
* Caffeine or other stimulants 6 hours before bed
* Eating within 2 hours of sleeping (although that can help. albeit unhealthy)
*Abnormal sleep patterns
* Outside noise: Neighbors, barking dogs, construction, lawnmowers etc..
As many of these situations you can reduce will help