The relationship between sleep quality and blood pressure in older adults with hypertension

Abstract

Aim This study was conducted to examine the relationship between sleep quality and blood pressure in older adults with hypertension. Methods This study was conducted using a descriptive, correlational, and cross-sectional design. The sample consisted of 200 patients over the age of 65 who were diagnosed with hypertension and hospitalized in the internal medicine clinic of a training and research hospital between October 2023 and June 2024. A purposive sampling method was used to recruit eligible participants. The Patient Identification Form and the Richard Campbell Sleep Quality Scale (RCSQ) were used to obtain the data. The study data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, parametric tests (independent t-test, one-way ANOVA, Pearson correlation) for normally distributed variables, and nonparametric tests (Mann-Whitney U, Kruskal-Wallis, Spearman correlation) for non-normally distributed variables. Results The mean age of the older adults participating in the study was 76.36 +/- 7.70 years. The mean score of the RCSQ was 54.45 +/- 17.23. There was a statistically significant difference in RCSQ scores based on sleep habits (t = 5.866; p < 0.01), sleep duration before hospitalization (F = 61.281; p = 0.00), ability to sleep at the desired time in the hospital (U = 4.796; p = 0.00), and nighttime awakenings (U=-6.086; p = 0.00 According to the standardised regression coefficient (beta), ability to sleep at desired time in the hospital (yes) (beta = 0.299; p = 0.00), Sleep Habit (regular) (beta = 0.318; p = 0.00) and nighttime sleep duration before hospitalization (9 h and over) (beta = 0.167; p = 0.00) were found to be significantly associated with the RCSQ Total Score. Conclusion This study highlights the importance of daytime sleep and overall sleep quality on vital signs in older adults with hypertension. Findings showed that 77% of patients took daytime naps averaging about one hour, which was associated with lower systolic and diastolic blood pressure. The results confirm that sleep quality is significantly associated with hypertension management; however, causal inferences cannot be made due to the cross-sectional design of the study. Nurses should assess patients' sleep patterns, provide education on sleep hygiene, and monitor nap duration to support better blood pressure control.