Can Better Sleep Lower Your Blood Pressure?
Effect of behavioural sleep interventions on blood pressure, heart rate, and heart rate variability in adults with poor sleep health: a systematic review, meta-analysis, and meta-regression analysis
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
Sleep extension lowered blood pressure more than structured therapy like CBT-I.
Experts often prioritize CBT-I as the gold standard for sleep issues, but this shows a simpler behavioral change—sleeping longer—had nearly double the impact on blood pressure.
Practical Takeaways
If you have high blood pressure and sleep less than 7 hours, try increasing your time in bed by 30–60 minutes nightly.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
Sleep extension lowered blood pressure more than structured therapy like CBT-I.
Experts often prioritize CBT-I as the gold standard for sleep issues, but this shows a simpler behavioral change—sleeping longer—had nearly double the impact on blood pressure.
Practical Takeaways
If you have high blood pressure and sleep less than 7 hours, try increasing your time in bed by 30–60 minutes nightly.
Publication
Journal
European Heart Journal Open
Year
2026
Authors
Samiul A. Mostafa, W. Hanif, George Balanos, K. Nirantharakumar, Jason G Ellis, Abd A. Tahrani
Related Content
Claims (6)
If you have trouble sleeping, fixing your sleep habits — like doing CBT for insomnia or just going to bed earlier — might lower your blood pressure by about 5 points, especially if it's already high.
Therapies that help people sleep better, like CBT-I and sleep hygiene, can lower the top number of your blood pressure if you have insomnia. However, they don't seem to change the bottom number or your heart rate.
Getting more sleep might lower your blood pressure more than just improving how well you sleep — one study found that adding extra sleep lowered blood pressure by almost twice as much as other sleep therapies.
If you're someone who doesn't get enough sleep and are at higher risk for heart problems, just sleeping longer could lower your blood pressure by several points — like taking a small dose of medicine — according to a review of several small studies.
If you have high blood pressure, improving your sleep habits might help lower it by several points—on average about 5.6 mmHg—especially if your blood pressure is already in the high range. People with normal levels don’t seem to get the same benefit.