The research looked at 138 people who had physically separated from or divorced their partner about 16 weeks before the start of the study.

The participants were asked to report on their quality of sleep during three lab visits over a seven-and-a-half-month period. Their blood pressure was also measured each visit.

Researchers saw a delayed effect with people showing increased systolic and diastolic blood pressure in later visits to the lab as a function of earlier sleep problems.

Dr Sbarra said: “We saw changes in resting blood pressure were associated with sleep problems three months earlier. Earlier sleep problems predicted increases in resting blood pressure over time.” 

The researchers also found that the longer peoples’ sleep problems persisted after their separation, the more likely those problems were to have an adverse effect on blood pressure.

Dr Sbarra said: “What we found was if you’re having sleep problems up to about 10 weeks after your separation, they don’t appear to be associated with your future increase in blood pressure. 

“However, after 10 or so weeks - after some sustained period of time - there seems to be a cumulative bad effect.” 

He said for people who have high blood pressure to begin with, the increase is not to be taken lightly, adding: “Each standard deviation increase in sleep complaints corresponded to a roughly six unit increase in subsequent systolic blood pressure. 

“If you’re starting at the high average or low hypertensive range, this is a non-trivial bump.”