Assessing The Relation Of Sleep Variability And Sleep Durations On 24-h Brachial And Central Pressure

Recent studies have demonstrated that increased blood pressure is associated with both extended and reduced sleep durations. However, no studies have examined the effects of sleep start variability, sleep duration variability, and sleep duration the night before 24 h ambulatory blood pressure monitoring in physically inactive young women. PURPOSE: To determine if sleep start variability, sleep duration, sleep duration variability, and sleep duration night before 24 h blood pressure monitoring is associated with ambulatory brachial and central blood pressure. METHODS: Fourteen physically inactive young women (Age: 20 ± 1 years; BMI: 24.2 ± 4.1 kg·m-2) completed the study. Physical activity monitors were used to quantify sleep duration variability, sleep start variability, and sleep duration the night prior to 24 h blood pressure monitoring. A 24 h blood pressure monitor measured brachial and central blood pressure while participants completed their normal habitual activities. Data is reported as mean ± standard deviation, and correlation coefficient with p-values. RESULTS: Sleep duration variability was not correlated with systolic pressure (SBP = 108.1 ± 7.9 mmHg; r = 0.325; p = 0.257), central systolic pressure (cSBP = 98.4 ± 7.2 mmHg; r = 0.387; p = 0.171), diastolic pressure (DBP = 63.7 ± 5.2 mmHg; r = 0.422; p = 0.133), or central diastolic pressure (cDBP = 65.5 ± 5.1 mmHg; r = 0.458; p = 0.099). Sleep start variability was not associated with SBP (r = -0.319; p = 0.266), cSBP (r = -0.322; p = 0.261), DBP (r = -0.084; p = 0.775), or cDBP (r = -0.167; p = 0.568). Average sleep duration was not correlated with SBP (r = 0.153; p = 0.602), cSBP (r = 0.143; p = 0.626), DBP (r = 0.075; p = 0.800), or cDBP (r = 0.131; p = 0.655). Sleep duration the night before 24-hour blood pressure monitoring did not affect SBP (r = 0.134; p = 0.649), cSBP (r = 0.142; p = 0.628), DBP (r = 0.077; p = 0.793), or cDBP (r = 0.107; p = 0.715). CONCLUSION: Physical activity monitored sleep start variability, average sleep duration, and sleep duration prior to monitoring were not well correlated with brachial and central blood pressure in physically inactive young women. However, sleep duration variability trended toward a moderate correlation with ambulatory blood pressures in our small sample.