A new study examining how sleep timing affects cardiovascular health has found that a consistent bedtime may play an important role in lowering blood pressure.
While most people’s first priority is getting enough sleep, experts say that the amount of time you sleep also has an important impact on your sleep. heart health.
Dr. William Lu, medical director of Dream Health in San Francisco, told Fox News Digital that sleep duration and sleep timing are linked and consistency is an important part of supporting cardiovascular health.
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“While both are important, there is growing evidence that the regularity of going to bed and waking up at about the same time each night is an independent predictor of cardiovascular risk, even after accounting for total sleep time,” Lu said.
Recent findings support that relationship. A study published in the journal Sleep Advances found that adults with the following symptoms: high blood pressure People who maintained a consistent bedtime for two weeks saw modest but significant improvements in their measurements, even though they didn’t sleep as long.
Participants reduced their hours each night. Fluctuations in bedtime Blood pressure dropped from about 30 minutes to just a few minutes, and researchers say simple changes could restore healthier blood pressure overnight.
Experts say even small reductions in nighttime systolic blood pressure can reduce cardiovascular risk.
This concept is supported by research on circadian rhythms and the body’s natural blood pressure patterns.
“Having a consistent bedtime and wake-up time will help maintain your internal state. circadian clock It’s in sync with Earth’s day and night cycle,” Lu said.
According to doctors, a steady sleep schedule helps your body release important hormones like melatonin and cortisol at the right time, which supports the natural rise and fall of blood pressure throughout the day and night.
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Lu warned that disrupted sleep timing can affect blood pressure sooner than many people realize. While some people may think shifting their bedtimes over the weekend or staying up late every now and then has little effect, experts say the body reacts almost immediately.
For those looking to build a more consistent sleep routine, Lu recommends starting with your morning wake-up time.
“Start with a fixed wake-up time every day, including weekends, lock in your schedule by exposing yourself to morning light, and set a consistent bedtime to ensure you get enough sleep before that wake-up time,” she advised. “Choose a sustainable wake-up time and soak up the morning light for 30 minutes after you wake up.”
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He also recommends adding a short wind-down routine before bed and reducing intake of stimulants and drugs. Using the screen In the evening.
Improving sleep timing is a low-risk change that may help lower blood pressure, Lu added, adding that in addition to sleeping hours, bedtimes should be consistent. antihypertensive drugsnot as a replacement.
The researchers acknowledged that the study had some limitations.
The sample size was relatively small and consisted of 11 middle-aged adults with the following symptoms: obesity and high blood pressure. It was also two weeks long, so researchers could only measure short-term changes.
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Also, because the study had no control group or randomization, it could not prove that the improvement in blood pressure was caused by a more consistent bedtime or other lifestyle factors such as changes in diet, stress, or medications. Larger, longer-term studies are needed to confirm the results.
Anyone considering changing their sleep schedule to improve blood pressure should first consult their doctor.
