Like most activities that occur within the body, blood pressure also follows a daily pattern. During the night, blood pressure decreases during sleeping hours, and continues to remain low when the individual in question wakes up. However, as soon as he/she moves his/her body for the first time after waking up, a spike in blood pressure occurs, which continues to gradually increase over the course of the day, ultimately peaking out at some point in time around high noon. Then, as the afternoon passes by and evening nears, the blood pressure of the body starts to fall once again.

Sometimes, blood pressure readings are noticeably higher when taken at home than they are when taken at the doctor's office. This is the flipside of white-coat hypertension, and is called masked hypertension. This scenario may take place as a result of various factors. The doctor's office may present itself as a more serene and relaxing environment to the patient than his/her own home and the blood pressure readings will be lower as a result of this. Also, many people tend to smoke and/or drink at home, or consume caffeinated beverages, which may cause blood pressure to rise.