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April 21, 2023
If you have trouble getting to sleep at night and also suffer from high blood pressure, there might be a connection.

The American Academy of Sleep Medicine suggests adults get anywhere from seven to nine hours of sleep per night. Sleeping too little – or too much – can ultimately raise our blood pressure levels.

Anthony Sampino, DO, an internist in Oxford, explains how sleep quantity affects our blood pressure – and what you can do about it.

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The importance of a good night’s sleep
Regular and healthy sleeping habits are associated with our cardiovascular health. When asleep, our blood pressure drops about 15 percent due to nocturnal dipping, a natural phenomenon that is vital for a healthy heart.
“When we sleep too little, our body increases its production of cortisol, a stress hormone that inherently raises blood pressure and increases sugar concentration in our blood – both of which can be detrimental to our heart health,” explains Dr. Sampino.
The effects of poor sleep on our health
Poor sleep doesn’t just impact our blood pressure – it can cause a whole host of health issues.
“By continuing to get insufficient sleep, you can increase your risk of many different illnesses and can worsen your chronic disease status,” adds Dr. Sampino
The National Institute of Health links sleep deficiency to many chronic health problems including:
- 
- High blood pressure
- Heart disease
- Kidney disease
- Diabetes
- Stroke
- Obesity
- Depression







Luckily, there are steps you can take to ensure that you are getting a full night’s sleep, every night.
Practicing excellent sleep hygiene
According to Dr. Sampino, the best way to enhance your sleeping practices is to practice superior rest cleanliness.
Some simple suggestions for fantastic sleep hygiene include:
- 
- Get to sleep all around the same time each and every evening
- Intention for the recommendeddaily sleep necessity – at the very least 7 – 9 hours
- Switch off or prevent LED screens 30 – 60 minutes before your bedtime (believe Tv set, tablet, personal computer, mobile phone, and so on.)
- Make absolutely sure there is no gentle peeking into your place and that you are sleeping in finish darkness
- Established your space to a interesting temperature at evening – not sizzling, but also not as well chilly
- Prevent pursuits though in mattress, these types of as reading through, looking at Television, enjoying games, and going on your telephone. Retain your mattress as a position for sleep






“Practicing just about every of these behavior will assistance your mind to associate your actual physical bed and bedtime with sleeping, creating it a great deal a lot easier for you to slide asleep and additional importantly, keep asleep,” explains Dr. Sampino.
If you attempt all of the sleeping behavior mentioned higher than and nevertheless have no luck slipping asleep, Dr. Sampino endorses scheduling an appointment with your key care supplier for even further steerage and tips.
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