Sleep is something we tend to take for granted. Skimping on sleep increases the stress hormone. The more stress hormones produced, the more the body is in a state of constant vigilance, which leads to higher blood pressure levels. Adults who sleep less are more likely to develop high blood pressure as time passes. Each hour of reduction in sleep duration has a 37% increase in the odds of developing high blood pressure, or hypertension. High blood pressure contributes to 7 million deaths worldwide each year.