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. 

[Sailormoon73]

It's great to know it's definitely a 'thing', isn't it? 🙂 ... though not recognised by any medics or even by Fitbit yet.....  so super frustrating that no-one can give us any answers...    I'm continuing to experiment and access the testing labs I have access to through my nutritional therapist qualification. I am starting feel that I need to figure this out for everyone, not just for myself! It's becoming a bit of a mission. 

The strongest hypotheses so far (with some evidence) are :

1) too stressed/ permanent high levels of anxiety  (ie sympathetic dominance)  - but I can't find an explanation for why this would happen after falling asleep particularly,....

2) Hormonal imbalance  -I'm 49 and therefore likely perimenopausal to some degree.

3) Inflammation  (can also be caused by stress )  - again .. can't see why RHR would come up after falling asleep, but would explain low HRV

4) Liver overload (causing highest RHR when liver is most active at night)... this is quite a strong contender!

I will update everyone if I manage to make any progress with any of these theories!!

[Sailormoon73]

That's really interesting EMBradley.....   I understand the logic with the HRV being low from overtraining/ chronic fatigue... but am wondering what they told you about the link to a high RHR at night (as opposed to in the day). Mine is fine in the day... the weird thing is that it goes up massively at night. Did you get given any explanation at all?  Would be interesting to know... 

[Sailormoon73]

Hi... no joy as yet. I'm trying to keep on top of all these posts to spot any trends/ evidence.    I'm continuing to experiment and access the testing labs I have access to through my nutritional therapist qualification. I am starting feel that I need to figure this out for everyone, not just for myself! It's becoming a bit of a mission. 

The strongest hypotheses so far (with some evidence) are :

1) too stressed/ permanent high levels of anxiety  (ie sympathetic dominance)  - but I can't find an explanation for why this would happen after falling asleep particularly,....

2) Hormonal imbalance  -I'm 49 and therefore likely perimenopausal to some degree.

3) Inflammation  (can also be caused by stress )  - again .. can't see why RHR would come up after falling asleep, but would explain low HRV

4) Liver overload (causing highest RHR when liver is most active at night)... this is quite a strong contender!

I will update everyone if I manage to make any progress with any of these theories!!

[Sailormoon73]

I had the same thing with the cardiologist.... but this likely isn't a heart issue.... They suggested stress. It's something driving the body to produce more adrenaline which tells the heart to beat faster. Heart can be super healthy.. .it's not the cause, just the effect  - if you see what I mean?

[Sailormoon73]

Thanks so much for posting. That's really interesting to me that it's inflammation and viral load that they focus on. I have no idea if I have EBV (perhaps worth a test?!), but I do have Herpes. It rarely resurfaces, which I put down to my immune system seemingly being quite good.... but it's interesting that you say the body gets exhausted trying to keep the virus under control. 

Just in terms of the link to sleep phases; I might be able to answer that as my only phase of deep sleep is the first 1 1/2 hrs (ish) directly after I fall asleep. I've also read this is a sign of exhaustion and that normally we should have a period of light sleep before the deep sleep. I don't.  So my rise in heart rate I can categorically say is at the same time as my deep sleep (which is totally the oppostive of what should happen in deep sleep!!). They say rises in heart rate are normal in REM when we're dreaming...  but mine is in deep sleep. Hope that helps 🙂 ?

[Sailormoon73]

... I wish room temperature made any difference at all to my RHR or HRV, but it doesn't. I already sleep in around 14 degrees in Winter. I have no heating in my bedroom and have the window open even when it's freezing/ snowing outside. Makes no difference....     

Agree with the hormonal cycle aspect.... and it does seem to be only women posting on this thread, which has to be the biggest clue. I'm currently doing hormonal testing throughout the month and will know soon whether I have a particular imbalance...   We'll see!

[sdldoucette]

37 here and same boat. Not peri menopausal. Very healthy. blood pressure is perfect. I rarely consume alcohol. Workout 5 times a week. Eat well.

Sometimes I'll see a small hammock in the last few hours of sleep and get up to 20% below resting, but normal is 4% or less. I have a meeting with my functional medicine doc next month, so I'll report back with any findings or insight. 

[EileenThirteen]

That would be great!! Thanks

[MrsFrear]

I have the same issue:  waking RHR is 55 - 60 but sleeping RHR jumps a solid 10 - 20 bpm.  I am fairly convinced (for this and other supporting reasons) that I have hypercortisolism. 
I am requesting labs in the next couple weeks. 

[JamieLee81]

having issue w/ versa3,hrt rate high it rubs 115 and  higher in resting posit.  Cheked my rate on all machine in our ER and at home and they all show 79/80+.  It’s been like this since I got it I just thought I wasout if shape now I’m  in shape.  Is this a defect? Or it s there a way can fix it ?

[kirsty1001]

Just stumbled on this thread when googling!

I have what I think is quite a high RHR (76) I’m 33, good weight, probably not the fittest but not bad. My HR is very sensitive to exercise, and shoots up super high even on a light jog, I don’t feel as though I’m working as hard as my HR tells me I am! 

Been looking into my sleep, as I feel exhausted recently, I have a 19 month old who’s never really slept, which doesn’t help, but it seems to be worse at the moment with very little time in restorative sleep state. 

I’m still breastfeeding, whatever difference that makes to my hormones, I don’t feel stressed/anxious but potentially I’m sleeping in an anxious state waiting for my daughter to wake up maybe.. 

hmm anyway! Not sure if I’ve added anything helpful here haha might try magnesium before bed this week 

[EileenThirteen]

Yes I do wonder about stress and whether we are underestimating the
effects on restorative sleep and sleeping heart rate of even what appear to
be slight underlying worries. Definitely you must be on alert with the
breast feeding.......and i have also been accused of sleeping "with one eye
open...always on alert" so maybe it's that simple

[DisheartenedPup]

I’ve also been searching for this information, but my increased heart rate starts when I lay down to sleep, not after I fall asleep. I have chronic insomnia, and it takes me anywhere from 6-10 hours to fall asleep almost every night. I’ve tried everything, and nothing helps, not even a little bit. I noticed my heart rate climbs when I go to bed, and it stays high until I get out of bed the next day, then it drops really low for a bit until I start being more active, then it’s normal the rest of the day. Im trying to understand how it could be linked with my insomnia, if there’s a cause and what I can do about it. 

[EileenThirteen]

I would suggest that your insomnia might cause you stress from the minute
you go to bed, and your heart rate increases accordingly? I'm due to have a
24 hour heart monitor fitted next week and see a cardiologist to review the
results subsequently. I hope my heart rate remains high during the night
as it usually is, and doesn't keep low as it very occasionally does. Like
bringing your car to the mechanic and it runs perfectly!

[SunsetRunner]

I'm reading this thread with great interest as I have the same problem and have recently been diagnosed with ME/CFS after 3 years of intense prolonged traumatic stress. Thank you all for sharing. It makes me feel a lot less scared and alone with this!

My theory is that when we sleep we are naturally vulnerable...and when your nervous system is messed up from prolonged stress...you feel even more vulnerable ergo the heart rate not adqueatly dropping while you sleep. 

Like many in thread, I've tried all kinds of things and generally live a very healthy lifestyle.

Interesting I have found that the following has helped it:

- wild swimming so I now swim in a cold lake every week. Unfortunately a swimming pool just doesn't seem to have the same impact! I wondered why this might be and there's various scientific research about the positive physiological impact of 'grounding' (i.e. physically exposing yourself to the earth) in reducing stress and inflammation. 

- lying out in the sunshine relaxing. 

- taking beta-blockers before bed (proparanol)

I am seriously considering taking 2024 as a year to live closer in nature where I can wild swim every day to try and really give myself the best chance of overcoming the ME/CFS. 

[Sailormoon73]

Sorry to hear about your diagnosis…. thank you for posting though as it will help us eventually work out what it all means. I’ve had a lot of prolonged stress as well (burn out 20 years ago and other episodes since then). High I think you’re probably right… nervous system unfortunately gets reprogrammed and on high alert all the time. If that’s the driver, then taking ashwaghanda would theoretically help (although doesn’t work on me 😞
I also feel drawn to the wild swimming… though it’s hard to access over here (Uk) unless you happen to live somewhere near a good spot. And I’m also at a stage where I’m thinking of taking time out for healing work as well…. So who knows? Maybe we’ll have positive stories to report next year?! 😉

Sent from my iPhone

[DisheartenedPup]

Thanks for your reply, EileenThirteen. That definitely occurred to me, however I’m not sure that explains why it gets even higher after I fall asleep and then starts to drop shortly before I wake up. Could it be an unconscious anxiety about something that’s already passed? So confusing. 

[DisheartenedPup]

I wanted to offer an update in case the information might be helpful to anyone. 

A couple of years ago, I was prescribed a beta blocker for anxiety. As I was researching this elevated sleeping heart rate phenomenon, I came upon additional, not directly related research that this beta blocker could inhibit the production of melatonin. 

Thinking this could be contributing to my insomnia, I stopped taking the beta blocker. I haven’t had insomnia a single night since then, AND my sleeping heart rate now slightly drops like it’s supposed to! So perhaps it’s related to melatonin? 

[coachkatie]

Thanks all for this thread. I have the same issue - high heart rate in deep sleep. Lately I feel permanently tired. I know I’m sleep deprived, and in a few weeks when my kids break up from school, my sleep pattern will likely improve! I do wonder if it’s anything else, like others have mentioned here. I have some bloods being taken next week so let’s see what they come back with.

[Fitbunnies]

Another perimenopausal woman with the same problem here! My HR rises during deep sleep at the start of the night, then starts to drop. 

Mine has been like this ever since I started tracking it. I think it is probably related to stress and inflammation. From 5/6 years ago I was under terrible work stress. Then last year I was diagnosed with a serious immune system condition that must have been rumbling away for several years beforehand.