As pediatricians, we spend a lot of time talking about sleep with our patients. With increased access to screens through computers, tablets, and cell phones, we see more children and adolescents who have trouble falling asleep. Inadequate sleep has been associated with a host of health concerns, including but not limited to overweight and obesity, behavior problems, learning problems, and depression.
Could inadequate sleep also be associated with hypertension?
In an article and accompanying video abstract being early released this week in Pediatrics, entitled “Sleep Duration and Blood Pressure in Youth Referred for Elevated Blood Pressure Evaluation,” Dr. Amy Kogon and colleagues at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia take a look at this question (10.1542/peds.2023-062940).
The authors analyzed data from 539 patients who had been referred to a pediatric nephrology clinic for evaluation of high blood pressure. They found that every extra hour of sleep decreased the odds of hypertension by 12%! Additionally, the later the sleep onset, the higher the systolic blood pressure was.
We don’t really know why sleep duration and blood pressure are associated, but the authors speculate on potential mechanisms. For instance, sleep deprivation may result in autonomic dysfunction, for instance increased sympathetic activity. We also know that sleep deprivation can be associated with higher rates of obesity, and lower levels of physical activity—which may also predispose one to higher blood pressures.
Talking about adequate sleep may be an important addition to our counseling when we have a patient with elevated blood pressure.
