Adolescents who slept less than 7.7 hours in a sleep lab setting were nearly three times as likely to have elevated blood pressure as their well-rested peers. Those who also reported insomnia faced a fivefold increase in the likelihood of developing stage 2 hypertension.
Presented at the American Heart Association’s Epidemiology, Prevention, Lifestyle & Cardiometabolic Health Scientific Sessions 2025, the study underscores a strong correlation between insufficient sleep and high blood pressure in teens.
Drawing from the Penn State Child Cohort, the research examined self-reported insomnia symptoms followed by a nine-hour overnight polysomnography. Sensors measured sleep duration objectively, while blood pressure was recorded through three consecutive readings taken shortly before lights out.
"We know that disturbed and insufficient sleep is associated with high blood pressure in adults, particularly in adults who report insomnia and sleep objectively less than six hours, but we do not yet know if these associations exist in adolescents," said senior study author Julio Fernandez-Mendoza, PhD, professor of psychiatry, neuroscience, and public health sciences, and director of behavioral sleep medicine at Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine.
Short sleep was defined as fewer than 7.7 hours of measured sleep, and insomnia as difficulty falling or staying asleep. Adolescents were considered to have elevated blood pressure if their systolic measurement was 120 mm Hg or higher and diastolic was 80 mm Hg or lower. Stage 2 hypertension was defined as a systolic reading of 140 mm Hg or above and/or a diastolic reading of 90 mm Hg or above.
The findings revealed that teens with both insomnia symptoms and short sleep had a fivefold increased risk of stage 2 hypertension compared to those without insomnia who slept sufficiently. Those who slept less than 7.7 hours but did not report insomnia had nearly triple the risk of elevated blood pressure. Notably, adolescents who reported insomnia but obtained sufficient sleep did not show increased risk for elevated blood pressure or stage 2 hypertension.
The coexistence of insomnia and insufficient sleep may pose greater health risks than short sleep duration alone. Fernandez-Mendoza emphasized the value of monitoring adolescent sleep patterns, stating, “Not all teens who complain of insomnia symptoms are at risk for cardiovascular issues; however, objectively monitoring their sleep can help identify those with a more severe form of insomnia at risk for heart problems.”
The study included 421 participants (54% boys, 46% girls) with an average age of 16.5 years. Data were collected between 2010 and 2013, and analyses were conducted from 2023 to 2024. Among participants, 35% reported insomnia symptoms, and half slept less than the recommended duration.
Brooke Aggarwal, EdD, MS, FAHA, an assistant professor of medical sciences in the Department of Medicine’s Division of Cardiology at Columbia University Medical Center and a member of the American Heart Association’s Lifestyle Sleep Health Science Committee, noted, “This study adds to the limited knowledge about the relation between poor sleep and hypertension risk during this crucial developmental stage.” She noted the importance of developing healthy sleep habits early to help prevent cardiovascular disease later in life.
Full disclosure details are available in the study.
Reference:
American Heart Association. Insomnia, lack of sleep linked to high blood pressure in teens. American Heart Association Newsroom. https://newsroom.heart.org/news/insomnia-lack-of-sleep-linked-to-high-blood-pressure-in-teens