Have a restful sleep

Recent studies show that about 40% of hypertensive individuals also suffer from obstructive sleep apnea, alerting to a relationship between diseases. Apnea affects approximately seven in every 100 people and the incidence is higher in males. It is estimated that 24% of middle-aged men and 9% of women are affected by apnea. The disease is characterized by snoring that continues at the same pace, gets louder and, suddenly, is interrupted by a period of silence. At this point, the person is completely breathless, but soon the snoring returns to the initial rhythm.

According to the president of the Brazilian Society of Hypertension (SBH), Artur Beltrame Ribeiro, who suffers from sleep apnea has more pressure variability and the increase is linked to damage to target organs, such as heart, brain and kidneys. In addition, a good night's sleep has to do with living longer, according to a study by the University of Warwick and the University Federico II in Italy. According to the researchers, those who sleep less than six hours or more than eight hours a day are 12% more likely to die. With the quality of sleep impaired, the risk of accidents, due to drowsiness, and heart attacks due to stress, increases.