The association between sleep disturbances and blood pressure variability: a review of the literature

Study Objectives: Sleep disturbances are an underrecognized public health issue that results in various adverse outcomes and disturbed quality of life. Blood pressure variability (BPV) is an emerging entity in assessing cardiovascular disease risk and accumulating evidence suggests that BPV is closely associated with end-organ damage. This review aims to explore the association between sleep disturbances and BPV. Methods: A comprehensive systematic literature search was conducted electronically using Web of Science, Ovid MEDLINE,, and SCOPUS. The electronic search was restricted to relevant English-language studies published between 1985 and August 2020. Most studies were prospective cohorts in design. After applying eligibility criteria, 29 articles were included for synthesis. Results: This review shows that sleep disturbances are linked to short-term, midterm, and long-term BPV. Restless legs syndrome, shift work, insomnia, short sleep, long sleep, obstructive sleep apnea, and sleep deprivation were all positively associated with systolic blood pressure or diastolic blood pressure fluctuations. Conclusions: Given the prognostic implications of BPV and sleep disturbances on cardiovascular mortality, recognizing and treating both disorders is essential. More research is needed to examine the impact of sleep disorder treatment on BPV and cardiovascular mortality.