It is not uncommon for blood pressure to be higher in the afternoon. 6-10 a.m. and 4-8 p.m. are the times of day when blood pressure is higher. Blood pressure can be high during these two periods, but even if it is high, it should not exceed the normal range. If it is higher than normal, the patient is considered to have abnormal blood pressure and should be further investigated for hypertension. If the type of hypertension is predominantly afternoon elevations, it is recommended that antihypertensive medications be taken in the afternoon to help more smoothly control the overall 24-hour blood pressure. Ambulatory blood pressure monitoring should also be done to assess the overall 24-hour blood pressure.