High sleeping heart rate

[shadowstar240]

I've just started monitoring my sleeping heart rate and I'm finding that it is mostly always higher than my resting heart rate. My resting heart rate during the day hovers around 60bpm. I'm sleeping really poorly at the moment and have found that my heart rate seems to increase as I'm falling asleep but then gets lower towards the morning. I can't find anything that says if my sleeping heart rate should be lower than my resting heart rate - I just want to find out if this is unusual. I find that I get really hot in my sleep too when I'm normally always cold while awake. 

[Venicimo]

I have exactly the same issue @Sailormoon73. I’m 30F and my RHR is between 52 and 60 in the day. My SHR starts low and then spikes for about 2 hours to up to 80 or sometimes more, then slowly drops through the night. The problem with all the advice about sleeping temperature is that I find this is strongly associated with my being cold at night. I get in bed, and very often find I can’t sleep because I’m cold, even though I can feel that I *should* be warm. I then wake up boiling several hours later. The only way I can find to make sure I get to sleep is to have a hot water bottle, but then my sleep is still disrupted later as I get too hot! I can’t find anything about this online.

I was interested to see the possible association with hormones - I had one of my ovaries removed last year. It’s suggested that your other ovary often adjusts and that hormone levels might not be affected but it seems like another area of medicine where there are just so many unknowns. I’ll have to start tracking whether there’s a link with my cycle.

🤷🏻‍:female_sign:

[EMBradley]

@Venicimo I've found that bedding layers work quite well. I start out cold, turn on my electric blanket to warm the bed up. Then turn it off after I've been in bed a few minutes. I have a light natural wool and cotton duvet and a couple of small blankets on top. If I wake up hot I peel one or two blankets off and pull the bedding away from my feet which get incredibly hot at night. Also natural fabric nightwear helps. I still have high RHR and the spikes in SHR and a very low HRV but I'm so over worrying about it. I even went to a cardiologist, they said my heart was absolutely fine and my cardio fitness was pretty good too.

[moonguppy]

Were you able to find any answers? I’m currently in the same boat.

[moonguppy]

Were you able to find any answers? I’m currently in the same boat.

[EMBradley]

Hi Moon Guppy, cardio was the only thing that made any difference to my RHR, SHR was all over the place no matter what I did, VHR stayed very low no matter what I did. My cardiologist was not concerned. I stopped looking at my sleep details after a while, because it was stressful! I have a form of chronic fatigue self-inflicted by overtraining, that's never gone away, but I manage it well. Apparently the SHR & VHR I'm experiencing are common in CFS. However, I'm also menopausal and you'll see a message in this thread from another member which mentions is as a factor. I have no comparison from my pre-menopausal life. 

[hhaste]

Thanks for your comment.  Makes me feel better that you are my age, and seeming in shape and have this.  I have wondered if my higher sleeping rate is "normal" and it is causing me anxiety.  Wondering if the high sleep HRvwas from low-grade anxiety, peri-menopause (ugh!), or even sleep apnea.  I am 5'8", 150 lbs, and exercise 5 days a week and eat healthy.  Hopefully it isn't apnea. Makes me feel better that im not experiencing this alone 

[ThinkTwice]

Same here!  I feel like I’m not getting enough restorative sleep. 

[Linda.M.]

Hi everyone, did you get answers? I am in the same situation. My heart rate spikes when I sleep..

[DTR87]

No eating after 6 makes a massive difference for me

[Sailormoon73]

We have the same problem… exactly that happens to me. It’s not normal…. Your sleeping heart rate should be at least as low as when you’re resting in the day: if you think about it… we’re supposed to be totally in recovering and resting mode when asleep… 

I still investigating: am currently doing no alcohol, sugar or gluten as part of something g else. It’s only been three weeks, but my heart rate is the lowest it’s been in months and my HRV has also improved. I had tests done that show I have Candida overgrowth and systemic inflammation… both of Thames could explain it… Do either of those apply to you? I think my alcohol consumption has been more than ideal….Maybe my lover needed a rest from that and Candida …. Who knows?! 

[Sailormoon73]

…. That would make me wonder whether it’s a food intolerance/ lack of digestive capacity if food otherwise makes your heart rate spike? 

[Sailormoon73]

Is it me or is it all women with this phenomenon? …. Does make me wonder if it’s hormone related….  In theory I could be perimenopausal too. Apparently some women sleep like logs when they get HRt… it’s the progesterone in their case…

Guess we won’t know unless we try it ;)?

[vlsd]

I'm experiencing a similar issue, but I believe it's at least partially a bug in the Fitbit algorithm. That's because my sleeping heart rate is pretty consistently below my resting heart rate during the day. Say, for example, that my RHR during the day is 60, and 80% of my sleeping heart rate is between 55 and 60. However, fitbit uses a different (lower) number for RHR during the night (let's say 56, although it changes every night) which makes it look like I was only under the RHR 10% of the time.

I don't know how fitbit calculates sleeping RHR, and it may be that they're making certain assumptions about the heart rate shape during sleep (e.g. hammock) which don't hold for everyone, for various reasons (what those reasons might be is a different issue that I'd also like to have answers to). What I can say is that my heart rate during sleep is overwhelmingly below my heart rate while awake, and yet fitbit doesn't seem to think that's the case.

[Sailormoon73]

Hmmm…. Don’t know what’s happening with your measurements, but my night time heart rate is high and only just gets down to my usual day time heart rate around 6am. TheRHR Fitbit gives me is an accurate reflection of what my heart rate is doing at night…. It appears to be me that’s the issue 😉

Sent from my iPhone

[Dharan77]

This is a relatively old thread, but I hope you are understanding your sleep patterns better. I have had a higher RHR during my sleep for a few weeks. Someone on here posted a link about overtraining, overwork and fatigue (as well as stress), and I think this is why my RHR is higher most of the night, except early morning. I am indeed over-training during exercise, while worrying about a family member who has cancer. I have also taking ambien, which might be another factor to consider. Would love to hear an update from your end.

[EileenThirteen]

I'm new to this forum, but have the same issue with sleeping heart rate being fairly consistently below RHR. My HRV is also low, and tends to get very low when my sleeping heart rate is especially high. I have done everything that's been suggested to no.avail. I would really love to hear from anyone who has actually succeeded in solving this problem.  Thanks 

[EileenThirteen]

Apologies!! I meant that my sleeping heart rate was HIGHER not lower. 

[Sailormoon73]

I wish I could say that I'd found the cause or a solution. The only clue for me is that my HR swings a LOT with my menstrual cycle and that my HRV tends to also somewhat mirror cycle. Both of these pointers would tend to suggest it might be hormal imbalance (which can mess with your body temperature regulation generally). The low HRV worries me... it suggests ongoing inflammation... I recently did some extensive bloodworks and amino acid testing which also confirmed I have systemic inflammation.  My Vitamin D was also through the floor...    as well as a couple of other things - such as Candida infection (in gut... / systemic) . It COULD be the candida causing the inflammation, but the link to my cycle suggests there's also a hormonal component. I am currently doing hormonal tracking (saliva sample taken every two days).. and will know the results in about four weeks. 

I feel like I've observed it's only women who are saying they have the same symtoms of rising heart rate when falling asleep and low HRV??   This does seem to suggest it's a hormonal thing. So my next question is: How old are you all??? Is this a perimenopausal thing? I'm 49 now and no other 'obvious' symptoms of perimenopause..    Maybe everyone who has posted on this thread could confirm whether they're female and their age? Might help us play detective!!

[Sailormoon73]

I am definitely not overtraining Dharan. In your case this would explain inflammation with drives low HRV. Unfortunately I've had this pattern consistently for at least 6 years - ever since having a fit bit. Could be longer for all I know!

[Dharan77]

I'm a guy, 53. I will also point out that sleep supplements tend to change my numbers. So.... while we investigate, lets contribute whether we are taking supplements