Make sure to get good, restful sleep

When you sleep, your blood pressure normally drops. Your blood pressure may be impacted by poor sleep. People who lack sleep, especially those in their middle years, are more likely to develop high blood pressure. It can be difficult for some people to get a good night's sleep.

These are some of the various strategies available to you for achieving good sleep:

• Consider setting up a regular sleep schedule.
• Spend time relaxing before bedtime.
• Engage in daytime exercise.
• Avoid taking naps during the day.
• Make sure your bedroom is comfortable.
• ...

According to the 2010 national Sleep Heart Health Study, regular sleeping habits of less than 7 hours per night or more than 9 hours per night were linked to an elevated risk of high blood pressure. Regularly getting less than 5 hours of sleep every night was associated with an elevated chance of developing high blood pressure over time.