LOW Z’S, HIGH BP

Something else to keep you up nights: A new study reveals that lack of sleep can permanently raise your blood pressure. Columbia University researchers examined survey data on 4,810 people, excluding those who were overweight or suffered from sleep disorders, and found that logging less than 5 hours a night increased the incidence of high blood pressure by 60 percent. Sleep deprivation stimulates stress hormones, which cause short-term spikes in blood pressure. Miss sleep regularly and you may suffer lasting damage to heart valves. “Sleeping less Some environmental hazards are obvious: tidal waves, volcanic eruptions, and earthquakes, for instance. But the land you live on may be endangering your health in ways you don’t recognize. Check your local landscape and the chart below to derail the natural disasters that could be lurking in your backyard. raises average 24-hour blood pressure and heart rate, which, through increased strain, can set up the cardiovascular system to persistently operate at an elevated pressure,” says James Gangwisch, Ph.D., the study’s lead author. Evening exercise can lower your core body temperature, which may help you fall asleep faster.