To stay hale and hearty, get a good night's sleep. Researchers say a bad night in the bed may result in the release of stress hormones -- which in turn can cause a rise in blood pressure.
Writing in the American Journal of Hypertension, scientists at Italy's University of Pavia say stress hormones may be the culprits that cause a rise in blood pressure at night, putting individuals with high blood pressure at additional risk.
Journal editor Dr. Michael Weber says study results stress "the particular importance of seven to eight hours of sleep for people with high blood pressure." Further, "increases in blood pressure and heart rate may very well increase the risk of serious cardiovascular events, which are known to occur more frequently between early morning and noon."
The Italian investigators suggested that lack of restful sleep may lead to rapid eye movement (REM) sleep phases that cause the heart rate to reach higher levels.
