People who have high blood pressure (hypertension) must pay special attention to the quality of their sleep. Although the specific relationship between sleep and hypertension is unknown, lack of sleep or interrupted sleep might trigger or worsen hypertension, as per a research published in the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine.
As per the aforementioned study, if you are already suffering from hypertension, poor sleep quality may aggravate it. Sleep is the body’s natural way of getting rid of stress hormones, which are known to elevate blood pressure. When you don’t get enough good quality sleep, your hormone levels rise, which causes inflammation, which ultimately leads your blood vessels to shrink and causes high blood pressure.
Aside from all of this, the posture in which you sleep is also a key part of lowering your blood pressure and benefiting your general health.
What are the Best Hypertension Sleeping Positions?
According to Dr Trupti Gilada, a consultant Physician in Infectious Disease at Mumbai’s Masina Hospital, lying in bed on the left side is the best sleeping position for an individual with hypertension because it relieves excess pressure on the vascular system, allowing the blood to finish its circle more smoothly and with much less resistance.
If you sleep on your right side, these vessels may get constricted, slowing blood circulation.
Some other key points to take into consideration
Comfortable Mattress
Select the ideal mattress that suits your sleeping habits to ensure that you are as relaxed as possible while sleeping. Less tossing and turning in the dead of the night equals more time sleeping soundly. Your body will be rejuvenated from the day’s stress, allowing you to sleep longer and uninterrupted during the night.
Bedtime practices
To combat high blood pressure more successfully, you need not only to adjust what you sleep on but also how you see sleep.
Eating a lighter meal earlier in the day allows your body to digest the food and avoids heartburn. Take some time away from your electronics in the hour before bed to unwind. Because blue light mimics sunshine, the light emitted by these devices causes your brain to stay alert. Relaxing with a book, or taking a warm shower signals to your brain that it is time to sleep.
