Wearable-derived objective sleep duration demonstrates an asymmetric U-shaped association with both hypertension prevalence and blood pressure parameters, with blood pressure nadirs occurring at 7.6-7.7 h for Sleep Period Time and 7.0-7.2 h for Total Sleep Time.
Short Sleep Period Time (SPT) under 6 hours was associated with a 2.05-fold higher prevalence of hypertension after adjusting for confounding factors.
Long Total Sleep Time (TST) of 8 hours or more was associated with a 1.82-fold increased odds of hypertension after adjusting for confounding factors.
Blood pressure nadirs (optimal sleep durations for lowest blood pressure) occurred at 7.6-7.7 hours for SPT and 7.0-7.2 hours for TST.
Below the optimal SPT threshold, each 1-hour increase in SPT was associated with significant reductions in both systolic and diastolic blood pressure.
Above the optimal SPT threshold, each 1-hour increase in SPT was associated with a 2.27 mmHg increase in SBP in partially adjusted models, but this effect was no longer significant in fully adjusted analysis.
For TST, dose-response patterns with blood pressure were significant only for DBP and only in partially adjusted models.
The study used a cross-sectional design with objectively measured sleep from wearable single-lead ECG devices in community-dwelling adults.
This research suggests that the relationship between how long you sleep and your blood pressure is not a simple straight line — it forms a U-shape, meaning both too little and too much sleep are linked to higher rates of high blood pressure (hypertension). The study tracked nearly 760 adults using wearable devices that objectively measured their sleep using heart rhythm sensors, avoiding the inaccuracies of self-reported sleep. The 'sweet spot' for the lowest blood pressure was around 7.6–7.7 hours of time spent in bed asleep (Sleep Period Time) or about 7.0–7.2 hours of actual sleep time (Total Sleep Time). The findings show the U-shape is asymmetric — meaning the short-sleep side of the curve is steeper and more clearly harmful than the long-sleep side. People sleeping less than 6 hours had about twice the odds of having hypertension compared to those sleeping in the optimal range. Those sleeping 8 or more hours of actual sleep time also had elevated odds of hypertension, though this long-sleep association was weaker and more sensitive to other health factors. For every additional hour of sleep below the optimal threshold, systolic blood pressure dropped by nearly 3 mmHg, a clinically meaningful difference. This research suggests that aiming for roughly 7–8 hours of sleep per night may support healthier blood pressure levels in the general adult population. The use of wearable technology to objectively measure sleep — rather than relying on participants to remember or estimate their sleep — adds strength to these findings. However, because this was a cross-sectional study (a snapshot in time), it cannot prove that sleep duration directly causes changes in blood pressure, only that the two are associated.
Song H, Huang Y, Fang X, Lin F, Luo B, Wu M, et al.. (2026). Asymmetric U-shaped association between hypertension and wearable-derived sleep duration.. Frontiers in public health. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2025.1724251