If you have high blood pressure, especially blood pressure that stays high even with medication, your sleep may be part of the story. Obstructive sleep apnea is closely linked with high blood pressure and other heart problems, yet many people with sleep apnea don’t know they have it.
How sleep apnea affects your heart
With obstructive sleep apnea, your airway repeatedly narrows or closes during sleep. Each time:
- Your oxygen level drops
- Your brain briefly wakes you to restart breathing
- Your body releases stress hormones that raise your heart rate and blood pressure
When this happens again and again, night after night, your blood pressure can stay elevated during the day too.
Conditions linked to untreated sleep apnea
Research has linked untreated obstructive sleep apnea with:
- High blood pressure, including blood pressure that’s hard to control with medication
- Atrial fibrillation and other irregular heart rhythms
- Heart failure
- Stroke
- Type 2 diabetes
That doesn’t mean sleep apnea causes every case of these conditions, but it’s an important risk factor that’s often overlooked.
Signs your blood pressure and sleep may be connected
- You snore loudly or someone has seen you stop breathing during sleep
- You wake up with headaches
- You feel tired during the day
- Your blood pressure is high in the morning
- You take several blood pressure medications and your numbers are still high
Can treating sleep apnea help?
Treating sleep apnea improves sleep, energy and quality of life. For many people, consistent treatment such as CPAP therapy is also associated with improvements in blood pressure. Your doctor will continue to manage your heart health alongside your sleep treatment.
Ask about a sleep study
If you have high blood pressure and any of the signs above, ask your doctor whether a sleep study makes sense. At International Institute of Sleep, we work with your primary care doctor or cardiologist and share your results so your care is coordinated.
Book a sleep study in Deerfield Beach
Ready to get answers and better sleep? Call 1-800-481-3870 or request an appointment online. International Institute of Sleep is headquartered at 2151 W. Hillsboro Blvd., Suite 100, Deerfield Beach, FL 33442, and serves patients throughout Broward and Palm Beach counties.
This article is for general information and is not medical advice. Talk to your healthcare provider about your symptoms, and don’t stop or change a prescribed treatment without their guidance.
