Sleep Duration Sweet Spot: Unveiling Optimal Blood Pressure In Males And Females

PURPOSE: Determine the amount of sleep associated with the lowest blood pressure (BP) values for male and female adults in a US representative sample from the 2011-14 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) cycles. METHODS: Participants with a history of cardiovascular disease (heart attack, stroke, heart failure, angina, etc), missing BP data, or did not have 2+ valid nights of actigraphy data were excluded. A total of 6,963 participants (3,601 females) 20-80 years of age were included in the analysis. BP was measured using auscultation, up to 3 measurements were taken and averaged to determine systolic BP, and diastolic BP. Linear and non-linear models were used to determine the association of sleep duration with systolic BP and diastolic BP, and the minimum value from the predicted curve was used to determine the “sweet spot”. RESULTS: All models were significant (all <.001). Using quadratic models, the optimal systolic BP was achieved at a sleep duration of 7.04 hours for men (systolic BP = 123 mmHg) and 7.09 hours for women (systolic BP = 120 mmHg) (Panel A). Among women, the relationship between sleep duration and diastolic BP was best described by a quadratic model, identifying an optimal sleep duration of 6.97 hours (diastolic BP = 70 mmHg). In contrast, for men, longer sleep duration was linearly associated with lower diastolic BP (B = -0.0081, p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: This study indicates that a sleep duration of approximately 7 hours is associated with optimal systolic and diastolic BP levels. The quadratic relationship between sleep duration and BP suggests both insufficient and excessive sleep may adversely affect BP. Thus, prioritizing adequate sleep could be a valuable strategy for promoting cardiovascular health and reducing the risk of hypertension.