Beds – Good for Your Blood Pressure
If you're worried about your blood pressure, you'll probably need to look at your diet, stress levels and your mattress!
High blood pressure is associated with too much salt intake, being overweight and being highly stressed. Having high blood pressure can be supremely dangerous, putting you at an increased risk of a stroke or heart attack. But did you know blood pressure is also closely linked to our beds? If we don't get enough quality sleep, researchers say we are more likely to have high blood pressure.
American researchers found sleep duration and blood pressure are interlinked. A team from the University of Chicago studied 578 adults with an average age of 40, and accounted for demographic and health variables. It found that the average hours of sleep per night in our beds was just six hours, with only one percent of those surveyed achieving eight or more hours. The researchers excluded those on medication for high blood pressure and found that those who slept less were more likely to have higher systolic and diastolic blood pressure. The researchers also found that every hour of sleep reduction was linked to a 37% increase in developing high blood pressure.
Love your Heart, Love your Mattress
High quality sleep it seems is closely related to the control of blood pressure. Previous studies have shown that poor sleep quality is associated with heart disease. Dr Kristen Knutson who led the research said that their research was different to past studies as they relied on a specifically designed wrist band to measure sleep rather than relying on self-reporting. The band gives a more accurate account of sleep quality and duration as the volunteers sleep on their beds. Dr Knutson told the press: “We found that short sleepers had a larger increase in blood pressure over five years than those who slept longer. Evidence suggests that a certain amount of sleep is necessary for many different functions in the body, including immune function and glucose metabolism, and if we can extend sleep in those who don't sleep well or for long enough, this should translate into many health benefits—one of which may well be lower blood pressure.”
So for those keen to live a long and healthy life, you may need to look at your mattress as well as the fruit and veg intake and exercise levels you take.
Looking for a new Bed or Mattress? Speak to Snug
Snug memory foam mattresses are carefully crafted to help you achieve a good night's sleep. Our top class memory foam mattresses are hypo-allergenic, temperature sensitive and come complete with 5 or 15 year guarantees. You can shop online straight away, or call us on 0800 0277017 if you need help with your choice of mattress.
