Date of Graduation

5-2024

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Arts in Psychology (MA)

Degree Level

Graduate

Department

Psychological Science

Advisor/Mentor

Ivan Vargas

Committee Member

Jennifer Veilleux

Second Committee Member

Erin H. Hickey

Keywords

Hypertension; Insomnia; Short Sleep Duration

Abstract

Hypertension is a major contributing factor for heart disease, with nearly half of US adults meeting criteria. While studies have begun to examine the relationship between insomnia and blood pressure (BP), little is still known regarding the relationship between daily fluctuations in sleep and BP. This study aimed to provide further clarification on the role insomnia plays in the development of hypertension, including the impact that daily fluctuations in sleep have on fluctuations in BP. Participants included 61 adults from the greater Northwest Arkansas area (63.9% White, 67.2% Female, 30-79 y) who completed 10 consecutive days of sleep and blood pressure monitoring. Insomnia status was determined by an Insomnia Severity Index (ISI) score of 8 or higher. Sleep was assessed objectively through actigraphy and subjectively through sleep diaries. BP was measured during the morning and evening using an ambulatory BP monitor. Variables examined included actigraphy and diary-based total sleep time (TST) and total wake time (TWT), as well as morning, evening, and daily systolic and diastolic BP. A series of multiple regressions were used to examine differences in TST, TWT, and BP between those with and without insomnia (ISI score ≥ 15). Mixed effects models were used to explore the relationship between changes in sleep and BP. All models controlled for age, gender, and BMI. Insomnia status was not found to be associated with average systolic or diastolic BP in the morning (β = 0.09, p = 0.44, β = 0.07, p =0.51), evening (β = 0.15, p = 0.20, β = 0.13, p =0.25), or daily (β = 0.12, p =0.28, β = 0.10, p =0.35). Decreases in actigraphy-derived TST were associated with increased next day morning systolic (t(576) = -2.70, p < 0.01) and diastolic (t(576) = -2.34, p = 0.02) BP when controlling for TWT. However, no significance was seen after correcting for false discovery rate. In general, the results of this study did not show support for sleep duration or insomnia as a predictor for elevated blood pressure.

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