Study Reveals Sleep Patterns Affect Blood Pressure, Young Adults at Higher Risk

Sleep is not merely a time for the body to rest. Behind this seemingly simple activity, the body is actually carrying out various recovery processes, including maintaining blood pressure stability. Therefore, the habit of staying up late or having poor sleep quality not only makes the body easily fatigued but can also increase the risk of hypertension. This was revealed in a study published through the Universitas Airlangga (Unair) website. The research reviewed findings on the relationship between sleep quality and the risk of hypertension in a rural community in Madiun Regency, East Java. The results showed that sleep disorders are not just a problem for urban communities. Rural communities also face similar risks; poor sleep quality has been proven to be associated with an increased likelihood of developing high blood pressure.

Nearly four in ten respondents were found to have poor sleep quality. The study involved 71 adults aged 18 years and over. To assess sleep quality, researchers used the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), an instrument commonly used in sleep health research. From the observations, 53.5% of respondents were known to have hypertension. Meanwhile, around 39.4% of participants had poor sleep quality. The findings indicate that almost four out of ten respondents had unhealthy sleep patterns. The research analysis also found a significant relationship between poor sleep quality and an increased risk of hypertension.

Young adults proved to be more vulnerable to hypertension due to poor sleep. Hypertension is often associated with the elderly. However, the study found that adults up to the age of 40 with poor sleep quality faced a risk of hypertension approximately 3.11 times higher compared to the elderly group over 60 who also experienced sleep disturbances. In contrast, for the elderly group, the increased risk was recorded at around 1.27 times. This finding serves as a reminder that young age is no guarantee of avoiding hypertension if sleep patterns are continuously neglected. Activities such as staying up late, using social media until late at night, watching television, or jobs that require waking up very early can affect sleep quality if they occur continuously. The study also found that the relationship between sleep quality and hypertension remained evident even after researchers accounted for various other factors known to influence blood pressure. These factors include gender, body mass index (BMI), family history of hypertension, and smoking habits. This means that poor sleep quality is an independent risk factor for hypertension. In other words, a person can still potentially develop high blood pressure due to poor quality sleep even if they have an ideal body weight, do not smoke, and have no family history of hypertension.

Physiologically, the body enters a recovery phase when a person sleeps soundly. During this phase, blood pressure naturally drops by about 10 to 20 per cent, a condition known as nocturnal dipping. However, if a person experiences sleep disturbances or their sleep is not of good quality, this drop in blood pressure does not occur optimally. As a result, the heart and blood vessels continue to work harder throughout the night without obtaining sufficient recovery time. If this persists over a long period, it can increase blood vessel stiffness, add to the heart’s workload, and eventually cause blood pressure to remain at a high level. This research also serves as a reminder that maintaining sleep quality is an important part of efforts to prevent hypertension. Some simple habits that can be adopted include going to bed and waking up at the same time every day, including on weekends, creating a quiet and dark bedroom atmosphere, and avoiding mobile phone use or watching television about an hour before bed. Additionally, limiting the consumption of caffeinated drinks in the afternoon and evening is recommended because the effects of caffeine can last for several hours. Avoiding large meals close to bedtime can also help the body obtain better quality rest.