Background:

University students present alterations in the duration of sleep. Previous studies revealed that the duration of sleep may be associated with an increase in blood pressure (BP).

Objective:

Analyze the possible relationship between sleep duration and BP in medical students.

Methods:

Analytical, cross-sectional study in medical students. High BP was considered to be BP ≥ to the borderline BP category (SBP ≥130 mmHg and / or DBP ≥85 mmHg). The duration of sleep was classified as: <6, 6-8 and >8 h / d. To determine the associated risks, bivariate (chi square) and multivariate (logistic regression) comparisons were made adjusted for risk factors.

Results:

33.6% of the students presented high BP. The mean duration of sleep for those with high BP was 6.92 ± 0.92 hours, while for students with normal BP it was 6.97 ± 0.95. 12.4% slept <6 hours, 74.6% between 6-8 hours and 13.0% more than 8 hours. The bivariate analysis showed that hours of sleep were not associated with high BP. The adjusted multivariate analysis did not show a significant association between hours of sleep and BP.

Conclusion:

The duration of sleep for students with high BP was the same as for students with normal BP. There is a low percentage of students who sleep less than 6 hours and more than 8 hours. No significant association was found between the duration of short or long sleep and the prevalence of elevated BP.