Sleep Loss Linked to Declining in Health

How A Bad Night's Sleep Can Increase Blood Pressure

The hectic pace of today's society places an incredible amount of pressure on everyone for a multitude of reasons; family problems, work related stress, financial struggles, and health concerns, among others. To make it worse, many of these issues are compounded. When that occurs, a person's life is affected in many different ways.

One of the most common factors that can occur as a result is a decline in health. For example, people who constantly worry may toss and turn all night and go through different scenarios in their mind as they attempt to come to a solution. As a result, they lose several hours of precious sleep. During sleep, the heart slows down and the blood pressure lowers. This is why it is so important to get an adequate amount of sleep. Those who only sleep for a couple of hours at a time do not allow their body and heart enough time to recuperate from the stresses of the day. Thus, the heart rate and blood pressure are allowed to rise. This means that the cardiovascular system must work harder than usual, which can cause elevated blood pressure and damage to the heart and blood vessels. With each hour of sleep that is lost, the risk of contracting high blood pressure rises. In turn, high blood pressure can lead to more serious complications such as heart attacks and cardiovascular disease, each of which can prove to be fatal.^{1, 2}

In America, many deaths each year are reported that result from high blood pressure. Often, these deaths are sudden and come as a shock to surviving family members. The death of a loved one often means that the family will no longer receive the much needed income that the deceased used to bring in. This is why it is so important to secure a life insurance policy before any of the above health conditions are present.

Many individuals and families carry heavy debts including a mortgage, car loan, and post-secondary education loan. Having a term life insurance policy in place may help to pay off these expenses in the event of the insured's death. Term life insurance quotes should be compared between several different insurance companies. If a person puts off obtaining life insurance quotes until they have already developed high blood pressure, they may be at risk for paying higher premiums or having the application declined.

We all need restful and adequate sleep every night in order to revive our bodies and our minds. If we allow the pressures and stresses of life to interrupt this recovery time, we may be at a high risk for developing serious health issues such as high blood pressure in the future. There are many ways to help deflect this from occurring. A person may obtain medications in the form of sleep aids or use natural remedies like teas and melatonin to help relax before bedtime. However, you should consult your doctor or pharmacist before taking any type of sleep aid for possible adverse interactions with any other medications and supplements you use.

Sources:

1. Knutson KL, et al. "Association between sleep and Blood Pressure in Midlife," Archives of Internal Medicine, 2009;169(11):1055-1061.
2. Gangwisch JE, et al. "Short sleep duration as a risk factor for hypertension, Hypertension 2006";47(5):833-839.