The Role of Sleep Consistency in Hypertension Management

An Oregon Institute of Occupational Health Sciences study found that maintaining consistent bedtimes produced measurable reductions in both 24-hour and nighttime blood pressure in adults with hypertension.

The proof-of-concept study enrolled middle-aged adults with treated or untreated hypertension. Participants were asked to adopt a consistent bedtime routine for two weeks while 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure was recorded. Investigators monitored baseline sleep timing for one week, reduced night-to-night bedtime variability from roughly 30 minutes to about seven minutes, and used 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure as the primary endpoint, reporting systolic and diastolic changes for both 24-hour and nighttime intervals.

The cohort averaged a 24-hour systolic/diastolic reduction of about 4/3 mmHg and nighttime reductions of approximately 5/4 mmHg; the authors compare these magnitudes to changes seen with regular aerobic exercise or modest dietary sodium reduction. Reductions were observed across the sample and included participants already receiving antihypertensive therapy, suggesting an additive effect on top of medication in this small cohort. These results therefore demonstrate measurable, clinically relevant blood pressure lowering for both 24-hour and nighttime measures with potential to reduce cardiovascular risk.