Can high blood pressure make you tired?
Fact Checked
Intus Healthcare’s writers, customer service team, and sleep experts review and ensure this information is accurate.
Blood pressure is an important reading to keep track of. When it remains too high or too low it increases the risk of developing many health conditions.
High blood pressure, also known as Hypertension, is a common condition and can cause many side effects when left untreated, including daytime sleepiness.
This article will explore the reasons behind high blood pressure, how it causes tiredness and ways to treat it.
Table of Contents
Why is my blood pressure high in the morning
High blood pressure means that the force at which your blood is pushing against your artery walls is too high, making the heart work harder. Your blood pressure changes throughout the day and can increase when you wake up.
Reasons for higher blood pressure in the morning include:
Morning surge: Your body has a natural circadian rhythm which regulates sleep patterns, and this can affect blood pressure. In the morning, your body prepares to wake up and become active. To help with this, your body releases hormones, including cortisol and adrenaline. These hormones increase your heart rate and tighten your blood vessels, raising your blood pressure.
Lying down to standing up: When you get up in the morning after lying down all night, your blood has to adjust to the change in position quickly, which can cause a temporary increase in blood pressure.
Medication: If you take blood pressure medication, the effects might wear off by morning, especially if you take them in the evening. This can lead to higher blood pressure when you wake up.
Does high blood pressure make you tired?
Higher blood pressure can cause you to wake up tired. It can also be a sign of a related underlying condition. When left untreated, high blood pressure can damage other organs, including the heart and kidneys, causing fatigue.
Other contributing factors related to high blood pressure, causing daytime sleepiness, include:
Lifestyle choices: Blood pressure levels can be affected by your lifestyle choices, for example:
- Weight: Being overweight is often linked to high blood pressure as fat around the organs makes them work harder, raising blood pressure.
- Smoking: Nicotine stimulates the hormones epinephrine and norepinephrine, which increase heart rate and blood pressure (2).
- Dehydration: Not drinking enough water can increase your sodium levels and cause your body to release the hormone vasopressin. The hormone causes your blood vessels to constrict and tighten, raising your blood pressure.
- Diet: A diet high in salt and processed foods can raise blood pressure. Around 60% of people with Hypertension are salt sensitive, as it can raise blood pressure by five points (3).
Stress levels: Stress can increase the amount of cortisol, also known as the stress hormone. When this hormonal change happens, it can raise blood pressure (4).
Health conditions: High blood pressure and tiredness can indicate a related medical condition. If undiagnosed and untreated, you may experience symptoms of fatigue. Conditions that can cause tiredness and high blood pressure include:
- Heart disease
- Thyroid conditions
- Kidney disease
- Diabetes
- Sleep Apnoea
- Arthritis
Sleep disorders: Irregular sleep schedules and lack of sleep can increase the risk of high blood pressure and affect sleep quality. Sleep disorders are also closely connected to Hypertension.
Here’s how they are related:
Insomnia: This condition causes difficulty in falling asleep, staying asleep, or achieving restorative sleep.
Chronic insomnia can activate the body’s stress response, increasing cortisol and adrenaline levels. These hormones can raise blood pressure by causing the heart to beat faster and blood vessels to narrow. Studies have reported that adults with Hypertension have an increased risk of insomnia (5).
Obstructive Sleep Apnoea (OSA): OSA is a condition where the upper airway becomes blocked during sleep, causing breathing disruptions. As the airway is blocked and narrows, breathing is temporarily interrupted, causing blood pressure to rise.
Can Sleep Apnoea cause hypertension?
Yes. Each pause in breathing can cause a drop in oxygen levels, prompting the body to release stress hormones. These hormones increase heart rate and constrict blood vessels, leading to elevated blood pressure. Over time, untreated OSA can lead to chronic Hypertension.
OSA also causes the body to release stress hormones, which put added strain on the heart, increasing the risk of a stroke, heart disease, heart attacks and other cardiac conditions.
Symptoms of OSA:
Sleep Apnoea Test
A quick and easy way to confirm if you do or do not have Sleep Apnoea is by taking a sleep test.
The test requires one night of sleep data, and the results are sent to you within two working days.
If Sleep Apnoea is detected, our in-house clinicians can walk you through your treatment options and any questions you may have.
Restless Leg Syndrome (RLS): RLS is a condition indicated by an uncontrollable urge to move the legs, usually due to uncomfortable sensations. The frequent movement disrupting sleep can lead to increased sympathetic nervous system activity (the “fight or flight” response), which raises blood pressure.
Low blood pressure and tiredness
For some people, lower blood pressure is good; for others, it is a problem known as hypotension. One of the main symptoms is tiredness and lack of energy.
It is important to note that although symptoms can be present, most people are diagnosed with a blood pressure concern by their healthcare provider from a medical examination.
Blood pressure readings
Blood pressure readings incorporate two numbers:
Systolic (top number) measures the pressure the heart pushes blood into the arteries.
Diastolic (bottom number), which is the measure of pressure in the arteries between heartbeats.
The normal blood pressure range is between 90/60 mmHg and 120/80 mmHg. However, the ideal range rises to 150/90 mmHg (or 145/85 mmHg at home) for those over 80 as the arteries get stiffer as we age (1).
High blood pressure stages
Low blood pressure: less than 90/60mmHg
Average: 120/80 mmHg or lower
Elevated: 120–129 mmHg/80 mmHg or less
Stage 1 hypertension (mild): 130–139 mmHg systolic or diastolic is 80–89 mmHg
Stage 2 hypertension (Moderate): 140/90 mmHg or higher
Hypertensive crisis (seek emergency care): 180/120 mmHg or higher
Symptoms of high blood pressure
Many people with Hypertension show no symptoms and are unaware they have the condition. However, some do show signs, these can include:
- Headaches
- Chest pain
- Dizziness
- Tiredness
- Blurred vision
- Shortness of breath
- Nosebleeds
How to treat high blood pressure
As mentioned above, leaving Hypertension untreated can lead to numerous other health conditions. Your GP should recommend that you have your blood pressure regularly checked to help prevent other health complications from developing. Your doctor may prescribe medication or suggest some lifestyle changes.
Arm Blood Pressure Monitor
Wrist Blood Pressure Monitor
Some ways to manage your blood pressure at home include:
- Regular exercise: Exercising can help lower your blood pressure, so you could try walking, jogging, swimming, or cycling.
- Eating a balanced diet: A low-fat and low-salt diet can improve your heart health due to reduced sodium intake.
- Cutting down or avoiding stimulants: Reducing alcohol and caffeine consumption can help lower your blood pressure and optimise the effects of any medication.
- Keeping a healthy weight: Blood pressure often increases with weight, which can also disrupt breathing during sleep, increasing the risk of Sleep Apnoea. Therefore, maintaining a healthy weight can help you control your condition.
If you do not have Hypertension, these lifestyle adjustments can also help to prevent it from developing.
Summary
Sleep Apnoea and high blood pressure are closely linked; if you think you have one or both conditions, please seek diagnosis and treatment.
We offer a simple in-home sleep test to determine if Sleep Apnoea is present in one night. Our sleep clinicians review your sleep data and send it back to you within two working days.
Please get in touch with us if you need any help or support with testing or treating OSA.
About Our Editorial Team
Written By,
Danielle Myatt, Staff Writer
Danni is a degree-educated content writer who works closely with our clinical and customer services teams to ensure every article is well-researched and accurate. Each article is written to educate, help, and advise on Sleep Apnoea, spread awareness, and encourage treatment.
Medically Reviewed By,
Jay Gadher, Clinical Manager
Jay is an experienced Respiratory and Sleep Clinical Scientist. He completed his BSc in Healthcare Science, which has allowed him to gain expertise in scoring sleep studies. His knowledge and insights about sleep science and human health ensure every article reflects the latest data.
Related articles:
References
- British Heart Foundation. High blood pressure. Available at: https://www.bhf.org.uk/informationsupport/risk-factors/high-blood-pressure. Accessed: 14.08.2024.
- Omvik P. (1996). How smoking affects blood pressure. Available at: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9162447/. Accessed: 14.08.2024.
- Corliss, J. (2024). Dietary salt and blood pressure: A complex connection. Available at: https://www.health.harvard.edu/heart-health/dietary-salt-and-blood-pressure-a-complex-connection. Accessed: 14.08.2024.
- Whitworth JA, Williamson PM, Mangos G, Kelly JJ. (2005). Cardiovascular consequences of cortisol excess. Vasc Health Risk Manag. Available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1993964/. Accessed: 14.08.2024.
- Liu D, Yu C, Huang K, Thomas S, Yang W, Liu S, Kuang J. (2022). The Association between Hypertension and Insomnia: A Bidirectional Meta-Analysis of Prospective Cohort Studies. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9815923/. Accessed: 14.08.2024.