3 Things to Do When You Wake Up to Help Lower Blood Pressure
Key Points
Hypertension impacts nearly half of all adults in the United States. While there are many factors that contribute to high blood pressure, you can make moves to lower yours as soon as you wake up in the morning.
All your daily choices and habits add up, but we asked experts to share their recommendations for what you can do immediately after waking up to lower your blood pressure and protect your heart. Here’s what they said.
Wake Up with Slow Breathing
Before you even open your eyes or get out of bed, you can prime your nervous system for relaxation, helping to lower your blood pressure in the process. To do this, an expert recommends starting your day with a few minutes of slow, deep breathing.
Regular deep-breathing exercises help decrease the activity of the sympathetic nervous system, aka your “fight or flight” response, which plays a role in many cases of hypertension. It also improves baroreflex sensitivity, or your body’s ability to detect and respond to changes in blood pressure, which is often impaired in people with high blood pressure.
A 2023 review of clinical studies found that a regular practice of slow, deep breathing of fewer than 10 breaths per minute may help lower both systolic and diastolic blood pressure in people with hypertension. The amount of time needed to see results varies, though, with some studies finding that just two minutes a day provides measurable benefits, while others suggest longer sessions of 15 minutes or two 10-minute sessions each day.
Hydrate First Thing
Waiting until you’re thirsty to start drinking water isn’t the best strategy when you’re working to lower your blood pressure. While your body’s circadian rhythm causes blood pressure to naturally be higher first thing in the morning, low hydration can make matters worse. “Your body loses water overnight as you sleep,” explains an expert. “When you wake up dehydrated, your blood becomes slightly thicker, which forces your heart to pump harder to push it through your veins.” Instead of going straight to the coffee, keep a covered thermos of water next to your bed, and sip on it as you work your way through your morning routine.
And if you typically drink juice with your breakfast, going for OJ could make a noticeable difference in your blood pressure. “Starting your day with 100% orange juice is beneficial because it includes plant compounds like hesperidin and other nutrients, like potassium, which play a role in promoting heart health,” says Manaker. Research has shown that both of these nutrients contribute to lower blood pressure.
Do Light Movement or Yoga
It can be tough to roll out of bed and into your gym clothes, but even light movement or a morning yoga practice can help lower your blood pressure. “Gentle activity activates nitric oxide pathways and improves endothelial function, supporting blood vessel dilation,” says an expert/ In other words, activity can help your blood vessels dilate, effectively lowering blood pressure. A regular yoga practice of postures, breathing and meditation can lead to reductions of up to 7.96 mm Hg in systolic and 5.52 mm Hg in diastolic blood pressure.
While including a morning yoga flow into your routine may provide the biggest benefit, even one session can help. In one small study, subjects who did a single 30-minute yoga session experienced greater reductions in resting heart rate and blood pressure than those in the control group, who quietly read for the same amount of time. Yoga can influence blood pressure by activating the parasympathetic system and improving cardiac functioning as you work through a flow of postures, making it an incredibly beneficial addition to your morning wake-up routine.
Other Habits to Lower Blood Pressure
- Limit salt and highly processed foods. Excess sodium in your diet can cause your body to retain too much fluid, which can increase your blood pressure. While some people are more salt-sensitive than others, sticking to the recommended daily limit of 2,300 milligrams of sodium is a good place to start. “Opt for fresh, whole foods and use herbs or spices to flavor meals instead of salt,” suggests Manaker.
- Prioritize potassium-rich foods. While limiting sodium often gets the most attention, increasing potassium intake may be even more impactful. “Potassium not only regulates blood pressure, but it also protects against the impact of high salt intake,” says Gaw. Include high-potassium foods like bananas, potatoes, leafy greens, tuna, salmon, pumpkin and beans regularly in your meals and snacks.
- Keep a consistent sleep schedule. Consistent sleep habits, including a regular bedtime and wake-up time, can be hard to implement, but they make a big difference. One study of over 12,000 adults found that irregular sleep duration was associated with a 9% to 17% higher risk of hypertension, while a 34-minute increase in sleep onset (or bedtime) irregularity increased the risk by 32%.
- Check your blood pressure and review your goals. “Make it a morning habit to check your numbers before you eat breakfast or exercise,” says Manaker, who recommends the following strategy for blood pressure monitoring: “Sit quietly in a chair with your back supported for five minutes, keep your feet flat on the floor and rest your arm on a table at chest level [before measuring].” Spending a little time each day reviewing your goals and recording your blood pressure can help you stay on track and identify any patterns and progress.
Our Expert Take
Your path to lower blood pressure can start as soon as you open your eyes in the morning. Experts recommend calming your nervous system with deep breathing and light activity, such as yoga, and hydrating within the first 30 minutes after waking. These small but meaningful activities can prime your body and help you stay committed to other lifestyle and diet habits throughout the day, lowering your blood pressure and supporting your heart health.