Losing sleep? Check your blood pressure

GREEN BAY, Wis. (WBAY) – If you’re losing sleep, it might be time to check your blood pressure. This is especially for women, giving them another reason to get a good night’s sleep.

Harvard researchers at Channing Division of Network Medicine at Brigham and Women’s Hospital followed over 66,000 women for 16 years starting in 2001.

All of the women were between 25 and 42 years old and did not have high blood pressure, or hypertension, at the start of the study.

During the study, researchers found women who had trouble sleeping had a higher body mass index (BMI), lower physical activity, and poorer diets. They also found women who struggled with sleep were more likely to smoke and drink alcohol and had previously gone through menopause.

There were over 25,000 cases of hypertension among women who slept less than 7 to 8 hours a night.

At the same time, women who had trouble falling asleep and staying asleep were also likelier to develop hypertension.

There’s a lot to this study, and researchers are still looking into the relationship between sleep and the risk of high blood pressure. They say it’s likely a chain of events — certain health issues — then leading to poor sleep and the high blood pressure.

If this sounds like you, it’s a good idea to have a conversation with your doctor.

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