Poor sleep has been linked to a variety of problems including sleep deprivation, a lack of energy throughout the day, and daytime sleepiness. Not only has poor sleep been connected to those problems, recent studies have shown that older men who miss out on deep sleep have an 80% increased risk of suffering from hypertension. The study, conducted by the American Heart Association’s journal Hypertension, further proves just how important deep restorative sleep truly is, especially for men over the age of 65.
The study was conducted using at-home sleep monitors and tested 784 men 65 and older. About 3.4 years later, 243 of the men tested had developed high blood pressure and the men who spent less than 4% of their nightly sleep in the deeper sleep stage were found to be at the highest risk of hypertension. Not only are these men at a risk of high blood pressure but many of them who do not get much slow-wave sleep were found to sleep for shorter time periods and were more likely to wake up throughout the night, classic symptoms of severe sleep apnea.
High Blood Pressure – A Rising Problem
It is said that almost a 1/3 of adults within the US have high blood pressure. A majority of the adults who are 60 years and older, in fact 65% of them, have high blood pressure. The study also went on to show that poor sleep also leads to an increased risk of type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and even obesity. The American Heart Association encourages all people of all ages to try to sleep for 7-9 hours of quality sleep each night.
If you find that you have high blood pressure or maybe you have been experiencing the common symptoms of sleep apnea, now is the time to schedule an appointment with someone who can help. Dr. Berry can provide patients with information regarding sleep apnea, a condition that may be causing you to not enter the deep sleep stages. Contact Dr. Berry online or call (303) 691-0267 today to learn about treatment options.
