Sleep is still good for you

According to an article at Web MD, less than 6 hours of sleep per night can contribute to poor heart health. A 2008 study by the University of Chicago linked short sleep cycles to increased calcium deposits in the heart and increased hypertension.

Another article, over at the Mayo Clinic website, notes that blood pressure will start to rise when you get up in the morning and reaches its peak around mid day. During the late afternoon and into the evening it will begin to drop.


The Mayo Clinic site's hypertension specialist Sheldon G. Sheps M.D., notes in one answer, to a question about high blood pressure and sleep deprivation, that sleep is thought to help the body regulate the stress hormones and lack of sleep might interfere with the body's ability to regulate those, leading to high blood pressure.

The trouble area seems to be under five hours of sleep a night, however even those who get five to six hours of sleep can be at increased risk, so the rule of thumb is still to try to get at least seven to eight hours of night for optimal health.