Unlike during the day when blood pressure is often high due to physical and psychological activities, at night, blood pressure should decrease so that the body can rest. However, in many older people, blood pressure tends to increase at night, causing a risk of silent cardiovascular damage that is not easily detected.
What are the causes of nocturnal hypertension in the elderly?
Here are the 5 most common causes:
1. Sleep apnea
One of the most common and serious causes of nocturnal hypertension in the elderly is sleep apnea. This is a condition in which the patient stops breathing intermittently while sleeping, usually due to the airway being compressed or temporarily closed.
Each time the patient stops breathing, the amount of oxygen in the blood decreases, forcing the brain and heart to activate the sympathetic nervous system to wake the body and increase blood pressure to compensate for the lack of oxygen. This causes blood pressure not only not to decrease but also to spike during sleep, leading to fatigue when waking up and causing a long-term burden on the cardiovascular system.
2. Using Blood Pressure Medication at the Wrong Time
In the elderly, taking medication to treat high blood pressure requires strict adherence to the time and dosage.
However, in many cases, due to forgetting, arbitrarily changing or taking medication at the wrong time. Especially skipping the evening dose, causing the body to lose control of blood pressure when it is most needed (while sleeping).
If blood pressure is not controlled throughout the night, the risk of stroke or heart failure in the early morning will increase significantly.
3. Poor Sleep and Prolonged Stress
Elderly people often have difficulty sleeping, restless sleep or waking up many times during the night. This can stem from illness, anxiety disorders, mild depression or simply physiological changes due to age.
When sleep is interrupted or sleep quality is poor, the body enters a state of simmering tension, activating the sympathetic nervous system. As a result, blood pressure does not decrease as usual but remains high or increases suddenly at times during the night.
4. Underlying Conditions Such as Diabetes and Chronic Kidney Disease
Older adults with diabetes or chronic kidney disease often have poor blood pressure regulation.
Kidney disease reduces the body’s ability to filter and balance fluids, while diabetes affects small blood vessels and the autonomic nervous system.
The combination of these factors can cause blood pressure to fluctuate erratically without being properly regulated by the body, and can cause an increase at night.
5. Unhealthy Evening Habits
Many older people have the habit of eating salty foods for dinner, drinking alcohol, or using stimulants such as coffee and strong tea late in the day. These factors cause water retention, vasoconstriction or increased nervous system activity, leading to unstable blood pressure at night.
High salt consumption in the evening is especially dangerous because the body does not have time to eliminate sodium before going to sleep, leading to increased pressure on the circulatory system during rest.
Tips for effective nighttime blood pressure control
1. Eat a light dinner with little salt
For the elderly, eating a light dinner with little salt is a simple but extremely effective way to prevent blood pressure from rising silently at night.
At night, the body needs to rest, not strain to process rich meals. When sodium is limited, the blood will not retain too much water, thereby avoiding unnecessary pressure on the blood vessels.
A meal with boiled green vegetables, some steamed fish, and a bowl of thin soup can be an ideal choice to help the body relax and the cardiovascular system become more stable at night.
2. Don’t drink too much water before bed
Drinking too much water at night seems harmless, but it is the reason why many people have to wake up continuously to urinate. This not only disrupts sleep but also makes blood pressure fluctuate easily when the body constantly switches from resting to waking up.
The simple solution is to limit drinking water after 7pm and make sure you urinate fully before going to bed.
3. Avoid coffee, strong tea or alcohol in the evening
The habit of sipping a cup of black coffee, a cup of hot tea or a few sips of wine seems relaxing, but it is not friendly to blood pressure at night.
These stimulants can make the heart beat faster, blood vessels constrict, leading to increased blood pressure without you knowing it. So, if you have ever had trouble sleeping, had a fast heartbeat or measured high blood pressure at night, try to give up these seemingly harmless habits.
4. Maintain a fixed bedtime
A good night’s sleep is an important time for blood pressure to regulate itself. When you go to bed at a fixed time every night, your body gradually creates a stable biological rhythm. And that stability is an effective “weapon” to help control blood pressure.
On the contrary, if you sleep late, stay up late for many days in a row, your body will disrupt its internal rhythm and your blood pressure may silently increase when you least expect it.
5. Create a quiet and cool sleeping space
Strong light, strange sounds, or stuffy air can stimulate the sympathetic nervous system. This causes blood pressure to not drop as it should while sleeping.
A moderately cool bedroom, avoiding drafts, not too bright, not noisy will help your heart to rest properly.
Therefore, create a gentle and safe sleeping environment so that your sleep is not disturbed.
6. Practice some gentle relaxation exercises before going to bed
Just 5-10 minutes of relaxing your body before going to bed can make a big difference. A few movements of rotating your wrists, massaging the soles of your feet, or breathing slowly are enough to help calm the nervous system.
When the body is relaxed, the heart rate slows down, the blood vessels dilate and blood pressure is also easily stabilized. This is a natural medicine that does not require a prescription, is free, but has lasting effects over time.
7. Regularly monitor blood pressure at night
Elderly people should make a habit of measuring their blood pressure at night before going to bed, for at least 5 to 7 consecutive days to observe whether their blood pressure increases at night.
This is not to worry more, but to proactively understand their body. Regular numbers are a good sign, and if there is a tendency to increase, you will promptly notify your doctor to adjust your lifestyle or take medication if necessary.
8. Do not lie down immediately after dinner
Many people lie down to rest after eating, but this habit can cause bloating, reflux, indigestion and affect the cardiovascular system. A simple way is to sit on a chair or walk slowly around the house for 15-30 minutes. Gentle activity after meals not only aids digestion but also helps the body regulate blood pressure more naturally and smoothly at night.
