Sleep Irregularity Encourages High Blood Pressure Risk
According to a study carried out by the Heart Institute of the Hospital das Clínicas (InCor), irregular sleep increases the risk of hypertension by 48%. The result is part of research carried out through the project called Longitudinal Study of Adult Health (ELSA) for chronic diseases and population health in the country. The period of essential sleep for adults is located between seven and nine hours, however these numbers have not been respected, a factor that may be disturbing the quality of life of a large part of the population.
Doctor Luciano Drager, from the Instituto do Coração (InCor) at Hospital das Clínicas, Faculdade de Medicina, USP and president of the Associação Brasileira do Sono, explains that the regularity of the sleep pattern is essential for the full development and functioning of the human body.
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Firstly, the professor stresses that, some time ago, it was observed that people who had a very irregular sleep pattern often complained about possible metabolic problems. However, the study of the relationship between the importance of sleep and the development of high blood pressure is relatively recent.
The research in question used as a basis the use of a wristwatch that was able to estimate the duration of sleep of each of the participants. “We chose a typical workweek for these people, and we assessed not only their sleep duration, but also their day-to-day regularity pattern. Thus, we evaluated what we call standard deviation, that is, how much sleep varied over the week”, explains Drager.
Luciano Ferreira Drager – Photo: Personal Archive
The specialist adds that, in patients who have sleep apnea, the irregular sleep pattern was not associated with hypertension. Thus, it is necessary to think not only in quantity, but also in regularity.
irregular sleep
Sleep irregularity is characterized by the absence of established times to go to bed and to wake up. “In fact, most of the time, people have a set time to wake up, however, the time to go to bed is very variable. People stay connected on the internet, on social networks, watching television programs and end up pushing sleep”, adds the expert.
With this, the irregularity of schedules can cause the imbalance of several hormones, triggering a series of inflammatory components that affect the health of the individual in general. Drager adds that the number of hours is not enough to guarantee the quality of sleep, being necessary to control sleep apnea and its regularity.
consequences and solutions
Sleep irregularity is a potential new risk factor for the development of high blood pressure, joining factors such as: age, genetics, inappropriate habits, etc. Thus, it is a direct contributor to stroke and other cardiometabolic diseases, and it is essential to prevent the risk factors that can lead to these diseases.
The adoption of a more regular sleep contributes to the development of a greater performance of cognition, memory and irritability. Therefore, adopting improvements in sleep quality can help patients recover, even if the condition cannot be completely reversed.