Before Thomas Edison invented the light bulb in 1879, people slept about 10 hours a night. Our corporate culture has changed all that. During the past 20 years, we've added roughly 158 hours annually to our work and commute times. What we've lost is our sleep time. Sleep apnea is tied to hypertension Researchers from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute found middle age and older persons with sleep apnea to have a 45 percent higher risk for hypertension than those who do not have the condition.
Sleep apnea is a sleep disorder in which one stops breathing for short intervals during the night.
It affects sleep quality and often results in daytime sleepiness. In a study of 10 couples, women who slept with partners who had sleep apnea lost an average of 62 minutes of sleep per night in the untreated versus treated phase of the study. Studies indicate that chronic sleep deprivation can increase the severity of age-related conditions, such as Type 2 diabetes, hypertension, obesity and memory loss Results showed that after being deprived of sleep, study participants' bodies metabolized glucose less effectively, indicating possible development of diabetes. Levels of cortisol, a stress hormone that helps regulate blood sugar concentrations, also were higher than after periods of sustained sleep. Elevated levels of cortisol indicate development of memory impairments and age-related insulin resistance, a condition that can lead to obesity and hypertension.