Can high blood pressure cause sleeplessness? According to a 2015 study from China, the answer is yes. Sleep quality affects many aspects of your well-being, including your heart. With that in mind, it’s important to understand how high blood pressure and sleep are connected, and how to make changes to avoid insomnia and improve your sleep quality.

What’s the link between the two?

How is trouble falling asleep linked to high blood pressure (also known as hypertension)? Having tested just over 300 participants—two-thirds of which had insomnia—to evaluate their quality of sleep, a team of researchers in China discovered that those with insomnia who took longer than 14 minutes to fall asleep during their MSLT (Multiple Sleep Latency Test) were 300% more likely to have high blood pressure. Those needing more than 17 minutes during that test were at an even greater risk for high blood pressure, at 400%.

The study not only indicates the importance of getting better quality sleep, but also controlling your "physiological hyper-arousal" to better regulate sleep habits. Another study indicates that heightened blood pressure from sleep deprivation can carry into the next day, increasing the risk of suffering a stroke and/or heart attack.

Why is a good night’s sleep so important?

Insomnia is the result of a state of heightened arousal, leading to difficulties relaxing and falling asleep. Sleep deprivation can have various consequences for one’s health, with seven to eight hours of sleep being the recommended length. One major reason good sleep matters so much is that it can help reduce cravings for junk food, as well as helping regulate weight and metabolism. Blood pressure can also heighten the less you sleep, as well as dysregulate the body’s ability to manage stress.

Improving sleep quality also includes avoiding certain pre-bedtime habits, such as smoking, drinking alcohol, heavy workouts, or big meals. Consuming too much caffeine can also have an impact. Each of these can affect your cardiovascular health, as can stress, anxiety, and jet lag. Relaxation techniques, such as mindfulness or taking a hot bath, can also help reduce hypertension. Shutting off all screens at least an hour before bed, as well as making a sleep schedule and sticking to it, are also beneficial.

How can better sleep help reduce high blood pressure?

The choices we make can directly affect our quality of sleep. Such choices include nutrition and exercise, both of which can impact heart health. Since sleepless nights linked to high blood pressure, this is even more important to emphasize. Here are some tips for how to sleep better and lower your blood pressure.

1. Getting exercise. The impact of exercise on your heart can not only reduce high blood pressure, but also regulate your cholesterol levels. Though more intense workouts are not recommended before bed, deep breathing (such as box breathing), yoga, walking and stretching are more gentle exercises that can help reduce hypertension and alleviate stress, as well as optimizing quality of sleep.

2. Therapy and/or medication. According to the 2015 study, certain treatments such as medication, biofeedback, and CBT (cognitive behavioural therapy) can be helpful in improving one’s sleep patterns. Though a treatment that works for one person may not work for another, and more research is needed to fully understand their effects, they can help minimize the arousal that leads to insomnia.

3. Choosing the right sleep positions. Though there’s a lack of consensus for which sleep position is best for high blood pressure, recent evidence favours the right side. Studies have shown that the left side can cause changes in the heart’s electrical activity, whereas the right side causes little change. Avoiding sleeping on your back is also recommended, particularly if you have sleep apnea. Having the right kind of mattress to sleep on can also improve your sleep quality, as well as reduce discomfort.