[Sleep disorder and hypertension].

Sleep disorder is a common condition in developed countries. Large epidemiological studies have revealed the relationships of short sleep duration and insomnia with hypertension. This review article summarizes the literature on these relationships. Decreased melatonin secretion, change in sleep structures, or increased sympathetic nervous system activity was suggested to serve as a pathophysiology for the relationship between sleep disorder and hypertension. Adequate sleep duration may be important for preventing hypertension in modern society.