Rest 5 minutes, sit with back supported and feet flat, arm resting at heart level, cuff snug on bare skin - and no caffeine, exercise, or smoking for 30 minutes before.
No talking during the reading. Take two readings a minute apart, morning and evening, and log them - the trend is the deliverable, not any single number.
What to do
Common questions
How do I take my blood pressure correctly at home?
Technique moves the number by ten points or more, so the protocol matters. The standard sequence: avoid caffeine, exercise, and smoking for 30 minutes before; empty your bladder; sit quietly for 5 minutes in a chair with your back supported and feet flat on the floor - no crossing legs; rest the cuffed arm on a table at heart level; wrap the cuff snugly on bare skin, not over clothing; then take the reading without talking or moving. MedlinePlus describes the same positioning the clinic uses - feet flat, arm at heart level - and that is the standard to copy. Take two readings a minute apart, morning and evening, for several days when establishing your baseline, and write them down or use the monitor memory - the log is the deliverable, not any single number. Repeat a surprising reading after a few quiet minutes before reacting to it. Pymander, a free AI doctor available 24/7 by text, can help you build the log and read the pattern.