Millions of people in the UK are being warned they could be living with a "silent killer" condition according to a recent study.
High blood pressure, also known as hypertension, is prevalent in the UK, with an estimated 5.5 million people experiencing undiagnosed hypertension. While there are many factors at play that can increase the risk - including weight, not being active, or eating too much salt – the amount of sleep people get also plays a big part.
New research from Lloyds Pharmacy reveals that more than half of all UK adults have trouble sleeping at least three nights a week, putting themselves at risk.
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The research also found that nearly a quarter (22%) of those who have trouble sleeping at least three times a week also experience symptoms of high blood pressure, with 16% taking medication for the condition, highlighting the direct correlation between those who have trouble sleeping and hypertension. Despite this, many people do not know a consistent lack of or poor sleep can be a trigger of high blood pressure.
With the new figures in mind, Sleep expert Stephanie Romiszewski has issued the following tips for getting a good night's sleep:
Set yourself a morning wake-up routine
It’s important to build sleep pressure during the day in order to sleep at night, so how you start your day is actually more powerful than what you do before you go to sleep. Although sleeping in may sound idyllic, it actually keeps your body in a prolonged sleepy state and is a sign you’re compensating for lack of, or poor sleep which can in turn lead to chronic sleep problems.
As a result, it’s better to try to keep to the same wake-up routine each day.
Natural light
Daylight is extremely influential and will reinforce your sleep behaviours, helping to reduce the feeling of tiredness. Using natural light first thing in the morning to wake you up can help make you feel energised, happy and more awake.
On the flip side, if you use too much light at night from screen time or side lamps, you can delay your sleep and make falling asleep more difficult.
Exercise
Moving your body is a great way to improve the quality of sleep by reducing fatigue, and equally, sleep is a great way to recover from exercise, making it a brilliant mutual relationship.
If you have a bad night of sleep, try getting up early and exercising straight away. This will leave you feeling energised and improve the quality of your sleep the next night and beyond.
Try to relax
Regardless of how good your behaviours are at night and how constant your sleep may be, external factors will forever change and effect your sleep from time to time. It’s totally normal to sleep poorly sometimes and worrying about how to fix it may make things worse and cause chronic sleep issues.
Go to bed when you're tired
Try to go to bed when you actually feel sleepy and tired, not when you think you should go to bed. Winding down is still extremely helpful before bed to relax your body, but forcing yourself to go to bed when you’re not tired can be unhelpful and make falling asleep harder.
Do what works for you
Finding the best way to get a ‘good night’s sleep’ can be overwhelming with endless tips available online. If you see something working for you consistently over time and it makes you happy, keep it, and if it’s not working then stop.
Hypertension symptoms
Symptoms of hypertension often include severe headaches, fatigue or confusion, vision problems and chest pains. However, it is known as the "silent killer" as there are often no warning signs at all.
Lloyds Pharmacy is offering free high blood pressure checks for all adults over the age of 40 who have not previously been diagnosed with hypertension, and/or have a recognised family history of hypertension. You are also eligible if you have been referred by your GP for a blood pressure check or ambulatory blood pressure measurement.
For more information, click here
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