Alcohol's Effect on Sleeping Heart Rate

[Fred99]

I have recently noticed that alcohol has quite an effect on my Sleeping Heart Rate(SHR).  Over a period of a month or so, I have compared my SHR after drinking with the nights I do not drink.  If I drink with my evening meal I consume about a half bottle of red wine.

The pattern without drinking shows the SHR sinking below Resting Heart Rate and staying there most of the night, which I understand to be the normal situation. In the case after drinking the SHR shoots up 15-20% above the Resting Heart Rate after retiring and remains elevated most of the night, although declining steadily after an hour or two of sleep.

I don't know if there is anything problematic about this situation or not, but would be interested to hear if other shave observed the same phenomenon.

[YojanaFitbit]

Nice to see that you're digging into the Fitbit Forums @Fred99, let me give you a warm welcome to our community.

It's very interesting you've noticed this in your sleep. Some doctors say that consuming alcohol prior to sleep is associated with a 10% increase in average sleeping heart rate. Take in count that alcohol may aid with sleep onset due to its sedative properties, allowing you to fall asleep more quickly. However, people who drink before bed often experience disruptions later in their sleep cycle as liver enzymes metabolize alcohol. This is no your case but for most people, their sleeping heart rate will fall to the lower end of the normal resting heart rate range of 60–100 bpm. In deep sleep, the heart rate may fall below 60 bpm , especially in people who have very low heart rates while awake.

[Fred99]

Thanks for your feedback Yojana.  It’s interesting to learn that doctors have observed this comdition.  Kind regards.

[Baltoscott]

@Fred99 -- That's interesting.  I think my patterns is similar.  I tend to have 2 or 3 drinks on Fridays and Saturdays and none or one other days of the week. On the two or more drinking nights my SHR is above resting for the first 1/3 of the night or so and mostly below for the rest of the night.  On the one or no drink nights my SHR is mostly below  resting the whole night. 

[Heather-S]

Alcohol greatly has an effect on sleep and your sleeping heart rate (as well as your overall resting heart rate if you're drinking that frequently).  I notice that I sleep worse and toss and turn a lot more when I've had wine before bed.  Therefore, I try to limit my alcohol consumption to only one or maybe two nights per week.  I need my sleep and absolutely hate feeling tired the next day.  Especially if I have to be focused and productive the next day, I don't drink the night before.  

I'm not really a big drinker anyway and I can go weeks and months without alcohol, but it is nice around the holidays to have a festive glass of wine or two at night.

[YojanaFitbit]

Thanks for jumping in guys! I don't drink to much since I'm kind allergic to anything with alcohol. Lol.  What I do know is that at all dosages, alcohol causes sleep disruptions in the second half of your night's sleep. REM sleep stage is significantly delayed.

[weighmedown]

Thank you for this info @Fred99 

[YojanaFitbit]

Hope you all have a great night. Hopping today's celebration doesn't affect your sleep. How the Holidays Can Mess with Your Sleep Schedule—and What to Do About It.

[Genetix71]

I don't even use my fitbit at night, as it keeps me awake, but I can say that it is quite usual for people to complain about sleep disturbances when drinking alcohol. i think each is reacing differently depending on the amount, e.g. 1 glass of wine versus 1/2 bottle or 1 bottle of beer versus a six pack. so right now I am trying to drink de-caffeinated tea in the evening instead of a drink and see if that will improve my sleep

[Williehutch03]

As I've gotten older (47) it takes me sometimes at least 3 to 4 days for me to fully metabolize alcohol and get it out of my system. I will feel sluggish, lightheaded, and will toss and turn all night. I typically do not drink during the week, but as soon as Friday hits out comes the beer, wine and vodka. I will binge on the weekend, and it takes me the week to feel normal again. 

But if I plan to participate in runs or activities in my community, I won't drink at all because I'm competitive. This seems to be the only motivation to keep me from drinking on a weekend. If I go without drinking for a couple of weeks my RHR will go as low as 60, but on the sauce🍷🍺, it can definitely go to 78.

[FinnMom007]

I wear my Fitbit charge every night and I have been quite surprised to notice that a single drink after about 8 PM will consistently result in a poorer sleep score. I would never, ever have expected so incredibly little to consistently line up with a shorter night with less deep sleep and less REM sleep.

[Williehutch03]

Yes this is due to your kidneys and liver working overtime to process the alcohol. The harder your organs work, the more blood they need to function etc. 

I'm learning not to drink 🍷 before bed or have ☕ after 2pm. Sadly after a weekend of party drinking, it will take at least a week for my sleep to get back to normal.