What Are the Causes of High Blood Pressure Upon Awakening?

High blood pressure can increase the risk for strokes, heart attacks and other serious complications. Some people experience high blood pressure when they wake up, which should prompt a visit to a medical professional.

Significance

• Blood pressure is usually lower when you first wake up. High blood pressure upon waking indicates that something has interrupted the normal daily pattern of your blood pressure.

Causes

• Sleep apnea, kidney disease, caffeine use, adrenal gland tumors, tobacco use, poorly-controlled hypertension (high blood pressure) and some medications cause high blood pressure upon waking, according to Dr. Sheldon Sheps from the Mayo Clinic.

Identification

• You can measure your blood pressure at home with an automatic cuff, or you can visit your doctor and have your blood pressure taken by a medical professional. High blood pressure is a reading of 140/90 mm Hg (millimeters of mercury), according to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center.

Treatment

• Your doctor may increase your blood pressure medication dose or ask you to take medication at night to control your hypertension. Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machines can reduce high blood pressure associated with sleep apnea. Your doctor may ask you to stop taking medications that increase blood pressure.

Prevention

• Avoid caffeine and tobacco use to reduce high morning blood pressure levels. Take all hypertension medication prescribed by your doctor to keep your blood pressure under control.