Insomnia could up blood pressure - H&SF

"People who have difficulty sleeping at night may have a greater risk of high blood pressure and associated heart disease than people who get a good night's rest, Heart and Stroke Foundation researcher Paola Lanfranchi has found. Her study, published in the journal Sleep, measured the 24-hour blood pressure of patients who were either considered sound sleepers or insomniacs. People with insomnia were defined as having difficulty falling asleep, difficulty maintaining sleep or waking early, resulting in trouble functioning during the daytime. The patients had to have less than 6.5 hours of sleep a night with at least 30 minutes delay before falling asleep (or waking at that time) - and the symptoms had to be present for more than three nights per week for longer than six months"