Is Blood Pressure Higher at Night?

In 2021, high blood pressure was a contributor to almost 700,000 deaths in the United States alone. On top of that, almost half of all adults in the country have hypertension.

However, many people suffer from high blood pressure without even knowing about it. Have you ever asked yourself, "Is blood pressure higher at night?" The more you understand about how blood pressure fluctuates, the easier it is to see that detecting hypertension is not always simple.

The good news is that our growing understanding of how blood pressure works is making it easier for people to find out if they have a blood pressure problem. So is blood pressure higher at night, or at other times of the day?

Read on to learn all about the most vital things to understand about blood pressure fluctuations and how you can cultivate healthier blood pressure!

Is Blood Pressure Higher at Night?

Not everyone experiences higher blood pressure at night. However, some people definitely do. The bad news is that some people do not even know they have hypertension because their blood pressure doesn't spike until they are sleeping.

At first, it can sound counterintuitive that blood pressure would go up while we are sleeping. After all, aren't we more relaxed when asleep than at any other time?

There are a few specific things that might cause your blood pressure to be higher once you lay down to sleep at night. For one thing, irregular sleeping patterns can cause a lot of stress. In turn, stress can lead to higher blood pressure levels.

If your body is stressed because it expects sleep sooner than it actually gets it, then you might end up with higher blood pressure while you are resting.

In other cases, nighttime blood pressure goes up because people eat before they go to bed. High levels of sodium intake can cause blood pressure spikes. Eating the wrong food before you sleep might cause nocturnal hypertension, or high blood pressure while sleeping.

The Importance of Nighttime Blood Pressure Data

Some experts believe that nighttime blood pressure levels are a better indicator of circulatory health than daytime levels. Unfortunately, most people only receive blood pressure tests during the day. The medical industry may need to adapt to find ways to check if people are experiencing higher blood pressure at night.

Sometimes, people also think they have high blood pressure at night even if they don't. It is important to follow certain tips to take an accurate blood pressure reading.

For one thing, your blood pressure readings will be much more accurate and consistent if you take them at the same time each day. Given how much blood pressure can change depending on the time of day, this can greatly affect your blood pressure data.

However, it is also important to sit the right way when collecting blood pressure data. You want to relax and avoid doing anything while having your blood pressure taken. That includes simple things like talking.

It is also important to sit upright while relaxing as much as possible. It is ideal if you can find a way to support your arm while you are wearing the blood pressure cuff.

You might also end up with inaccurate blood pressure data if you eat, smoke, or exercise right before you have your blood pressure taken. It is also important to empty your bladder before you check your blood pressure.

Using a blood pressure cuff that is too small can also cause your blood pressure to appear higher than it is.

To counter some of these inaccuracies, some experts also recommend that you have your blood pressure taken multiple times in the same day. If it turns out that you have two very different results, that can help you realize you may need to keep taking your blood pressure under different conditions until you figure out what your true baseline blood pressure is.

Why Does High Blood Pressure Vary?

There are actually good reasons the body might increase blood pressure while you sleep. The higher your blood pressure is, the easier it is for your kidneys to shed excess salt. The more salt there is in your system, the more your body might decide to bump up the blood pressure once you are asleep to help get it out.

For many people, this kind of blood pressure spike will be mild enough that it is nothing to worry about. After all, normal fluctuations in blood pressure do not necessarily indicate hypertension or any other health problem.

Causes of Blood Pressure Variations

In other cases, blood pressure changes are the natural response to exercise. When you exercise, your blood pressure will often go up temporarily. That way, your body will have maximum access to oxygen and the other resources that blood carries to your muscles.

However, regular exercise also means your blood pressure will tend to be lower when you are not exercising.

Some people also experience spikes in blood pressure when they visit the doctor. This is known as white coat syndrome. People who have healthy blood pressure may appear to have hypertension if all of their blood pressure data comes from times when they are feeling nervous.

In fact, nervousness often increases blood pressure until you feel more relaxed.

Certain foods and drinks can also cause your blood pressure to change temporarily. If you consume a lot of caffeine or sugar, your blood pressure might go up for an hour or longer until your body returns to its baseline.

Salty foods can also cause the body to retain more water. As the amount of water in your system goes up, so does the pressure exerted on the walls of your blood vessels. That means that salty foods can cause temporary increases in blood pressure.

How Does Blood Pressure Change Throughout the Day?

Even if you don't have much salt in your diet, your blood pressure will still fluctuate throughout the day. However, your blood pressure will actually tend to go down a little when you sleep if you don't need to get extra sodium out of your kidneys. On the other hand, your blood pressure will tend to rise once you wake up.

What Can Contribute to Blood Pressure Problems?

So far, we have discussed how blood pressure can vary throughout the day or in response to specific situations. However, your blood pressure might be high during both the night and day if you have general hypertension. But what kinds of things cause chronic hypertension?

Although eating a lot of salt can cause a temporary increase in your blood pressure, what do you think would happen if you ate salt all the time? If you end up with a temporary increase in your blood pressure all the time, that is basically equivalent to having high blood pressure in general.

Many people also experience high blood pressure because they are overweight. As a general rule, the more extra weight you have, the harder your heart will have to beat to provide blood to your whole body, raising your blood pressure.

As we discussed before, regular exercise can help bring your blood pressure down while you are resting. Therefore, if you don't get much exercise, there is a much higher chance you will have high blood pressure.

Drinking alcohol and caffeine as well as smoking can all increase your blood pressure as well.

However, in other cases, people have high blood pressure because they have a lot of stress in their lives. Sometimes, finding ways to relax and find moments of quiet throughout the day is the best way to bring down blood pressure.

Blood Pressure Management Strategies

Based on what we have discussed, it may already be clear how you might be able to manage your blood pressure. Getting regular exercise, avoiding eating too much salt, avoiding alcohol, caffeine, and smoking, and avoiding excess amounts of stress can all help you lower your blood pressure.

However, you might also consider speaking with your doctor about medications that can help you lower your high blood pressure. You may also want to try cardio cleanse drinks and other special products that can help lower cholesterol. As a general rule, keeping your cholesterol down contributes to a healthy blood pressure.

You might find it more difficult to get your blood pressure down if you are over the age of 65 or have relatives who have high blood pressure. However, the right lifestyle choices and health products can go a long way toward helping you get your blood pressure as low as is reasonable for your unique case.

Understand the Nuances of Blood Pressure Changes

If you have ever asked yourself, "Is blood pressure higher at night?", we hope this article has given you your answer. Considering how vital healthy blood pressure is to general health, it is worth learning more about how it works. However, it is even more important to know and apply the best strategies for keeping your blood pressure at the right level.

To find out more about how you can find drinks that lower cholesterol, contact us at Cardio Cleanse at any time!