These 11 simple mistakes are giving you false high blood pressure readings – doctors confirm
Consistency is Key for Accuracy: To get a true picture of your health, measure your blood pressure twice in the morning and twice at night for a full week, then average the results. A single reading means very little.
1. You’re Not Resting Before You Measure
This is the classic mistake. You walk into the room, sit down, wrap the cuff on, and immediately press start. If you don’t rest quietly for at least five minutes before taking a measurement, your body hasn’t had a chance to settle into a true resting state. Any recent activity, even just walking from another room, means your heart is beating a little faster and your blood pressure is temporarily higher. Taking a reading in this state can artificially increase your systolic blood pressure (the top number) by up to 11 points. To get an accurate reading, you need to find a quiet space, sit down in the correct position, and just relax for five full minutes. No distractions, no moving around—just be still.
2. You’re Talking or Scrolling on Your Phone
Silence is golden, especially when measuring blood pressure. Many people think it’s harmless to have a casual conversation or scroll through their phone while the cuff is inflating, but this is a significant error. Talking, texting, or even just actively listening activates your sympathetic nervous system—your body’s “fight or flight” response. This causes slight muscle contractions throughout your body and can add another 7 points to your reading. The goal is to measure your body at rest, and your body isn’t truly at rest if your mind is engaged. For those five minutes of pre-measurement rest and during the measurement itself, put your phone away and ask that no one speak to you. It makes a real difference.
3. Your Positioning is All Wrong
