Short Sleep Doubles Risk for Elevated Blood Pressure in Teens
THURSDAY, March 13, 2025 -- Short sleep (<7.7 hours) among adolescents is associated with elevated blood pressure (systolic ≥120 mm Hg and diastolic <80 mm Hg), according to a study presented at the American Heart Association Epidemiology and Prevention/Lifestyle and Cardiometabolic Health 2025 Scientific Sessions, held from March 6 to 9 in New Orleans.
Axel Robinson, a senior at Pelham Memorial High School in New York, and colleagues examined the joint effect of self-reported insomnia and objective short sleep on elevated blood pressure and hypertension in adolescents. The analysis included 421 adolescents participating in the Penn State Child Cohort.
The researchers found that compared with the reference group (126), adolescents who reported insomnia and slept objectively short (77 individuals) had fivefold greater odds of having hypertension, while participants who did not report insomnia but slept objectively short (136 individuals) had 2.7-fold greater odds of having elevated blood pressure. There were no significant associations seen with elevated blood pressure or hypertension for adolescents who reported insomnia and slept objectively normal (82 individuals).
"Our findings are important because they call attention to the need to listen to teens who complain of disturbed sleep, to monitor and assess their sleep objectively, and help them improve it in order to prevent heart problems early," Robinson said in a statement.
Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.
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