Bedtime regularization as a potential adjunct therapy for hypertension: a proof-of-concept study

Area of Science:

• Cardiology
• Sleep Medicine
• Public Health

Background:

• Sleep irregularity is linked to increased blood pressure (BP).
• The potential of sleep regularization to decrease BP remains unexplored.
• Hypertension affects a significant portion of the global population, necessitating novel management strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate whether a 2-week sleep regularization intervention can reduce blood pressure (BP) in individuals with hypertension.
• To test the hypothesis that improving sleep regularity leads to lower BP levels.

Main Methods:

• Eleven participants with hypertension underwent a 2-week intervention focused on regularizing bedtime.
• Ambulatory blood pressure (BP) and sleep patterns were monitored using actigraphy before and after the intervention.
• Variability in bedtime and sleep onset was quantified using standard deviations.

Main Results:

• The intervention significantly reduced bedtime and sleep onset variability.
• A significant decrease in 24-hour systolic BP (-4±4 mmHg) and diastolic BP (-3±3 mmHg) was observed.
• Nighttime systolic BP and diastolic BP also showed significant reductions, indicating improved nocturnal BP control.

Conclusions:

• Two weeks of bedtime regularization effectively decreased 24-hour and nighttime BP in hypertensive individuals.
• Sleep regularization presents a low-risk, adjunctive strategy for managing hypertension.
• Further validation in larger randomized controlled trials is warranted to confirm these findings.