Insomnia May Hurt Heart

Canadian researchers say insomnia may increase blood pressure and lead to cardiac problems.

Researchers at the Universite de Montreal Faculty of Medicine and Hopital du Sacre-Coeur de Montreal found the 24-hour blood pressure of chronic insomniacs was higher than that of sound sleepers.

"Over many years, chronic insomnia can have negative effects on the hearts of otherwise healthy individuals," lead author Paola Lanfranchi says in a statement. "Whereas blood pressure decreases in regular sleepers and gives their heart a rest, insomnia provokes higher night time blood pressure that can cause long-term cardiovascular risks and damage the heart."

The measurements were carried out on 13 otherwise healthy chronic insomniacs and 13 good sleepers who spent 40 hours in the sleep laboratory.

The findings are published in the journal in Sleep.