Environmental Determinants of Sleep and Hypertension: A Critical Review of Evidence and Mechanisms.

purpose of reviewExamine current evidence on the impact of environmental exposures including noise, light at night, air pollution, temperature, metals, greenspace, and neighborhood on sleep and hypertension.  RECENT

findingsLight exposure during sleep, air pollution (especially ozone), higher temperature, and neighborhood disadvantage were consistently associated with poor sleep; associations for noise (children), metals (adults), greenspace, and walkability were mixed. For hypertension, air pollution, increased ambient heat, and neighborhood disadvantage showed consistent associations whereas findings for noise, light, and greenspace had mixed findings. Neighborhood reinvestment, social cohesion, and safer environment was associated with healthier sleep and normal blood pressure.  Minoritized and low-socioeconomic status populations face greater environmental exposures and had higher risk of poor sleep and hypertension. Pregnancy represents a window of vulnerability to the effects of air pollution, heat, humidity, and metals on hypertension. Future research should employ personal sensors for better exposure assessments and longitudinal designs to determine causal pathways.