To worry that my resting heart rate is over 90bpm at night?

[Janella]

Data from my Fitbit which I've just started wearing overnight as GP is investigating my heart palpitations.

My daytime resting heart rate averages in the 60s which is good for my age (45), and my BP was 127/80 last measure. But these palpitations (daytime) go up into the 110+ range when I'm quietly sitting at my desk etc., I can't not notice them.

I'd complained to the GP that palpitations were waking me up from 4am onwards. Bit surprised to see RHR peaks of 90+ three times over night.

Can anyone shed any light or share their own stats?

I would be seeking a GP appointment as I too would be quietly concerned 😕

Definitely get checked out. I went from resting BP 60s to resting 95. Was being investigated for palpitations and chest pain (30s so youngish). They made me feel like a liar. Turned out I had sepsis from an infection. I'm not trying to scare you but it's always best to get checked. They only caught it when my heart rate went up to 130s resting during A+E visit (gp surgery turned me away based on a negative urine sample). My point is if you aren't happy get a second opinion.

Shouldn't they be giving you a 24h ecg rather than asking you to use your fitbit? I'd go back to them and request this.

It’s worth raising the question, is wearing the Fitbit a request from the GP? My resting heart rate is low at about 45bpm and it does drop lower overnight but also peaks and troughs during that time, not to the extremes you’re quoting during sleep though. Do you move/thrash about at night a lot? You’d be surprised how quickly it can shoot up just from some movement if you’re not used to tracking it.

They’re likely on a waiting list for this - a friend of mine had to wait around 4 months for the 24 hour monitor.

My heart rate rises at points during the night too, when I am dreaming, but also goes down to RHR and below (unless I drink too much).
Isn't that normal?

Sorry I should have said I'm waiting for further tests and should be getting a call for an echo and ECG.
The GP saw my Fitbit and asked if I did any monitoring on it which I didn't until he pointed it out. I used to take it off at night.

Mine does this throughout every single night. I have always assumed it's just random turning over or dreams. My heart is fine. It's worth mentioning but not worrying about.

If it's peaking like that it's not your resting heart rate, it's just bobbing up & down. What does the Fitbit give as your resting heart rate overall?

I just had a look at mine, it said my sleeping average HR was 59 with 89% below RHR. It bobbed up to about 75 a few times.

Might you have sleep apnea?

I have that. It seems to be under control currently, but I did have a weird night recently when I woke up with my heart racing, chest pains, numbness and tingling on one side of my body. Checking the Fitbit I saw my heart rate had suddenly leapt from 65 to 117 (at least) while I was asleep. I think I stopped breathing and my heart rate soared as my body tried to wake me up.

It's still says 65bpm resting heart rate currently. The range for the past 24 hours is 56-105.

Perhaps the peaks are just some movement etc as some of you have pointed out. I slept well last night though, don't recall being disturbed (sometimes I am disturbed, I wake or DH snores/moves) but last last was peaceful until 6am palpitations of 80ish woke me up.

About two weeks ago I woke up in a full coughing fit from a very deep sleep. Woke up the house! I wondered if this was a sign of sleep apnea - it's happened maybe two other times over the past two years. I forgot to mention it to the GP though!

Waking up coughing has been part of sleep apnea for me. But on its own it wouldn't necessarily mean sleep apnea.

@Icantsleepagain sorry, I missed your reply. That's shocking! I hope you're doing better now. I thought sepsis was really sudden but your case sounds like a slow (ish?) creep, how scary for you.

I'm trying to not over worry but I will heed your thoughts about second opinions if it comes to that. My GP was very nice about it all.

Does your Fitbit monitor your oxygen levels? My smart watch alerted me to low oxygen levels at night, which lead to a sleep apnea diagnosis.

You often get peaks during REM sleep. It's normal.

If it's more consistently raised through the night I'd be more curious. That has only happened for me after major surgery, after I have drunk too much, when I have had an infection, and after my first iron infusion.

I had this. I kept saying I thought it was hormonal. No one believed me! I finally convinced a lovely GP who put me on progesterone and now the palpitations have stopped and my heart rate is more normal.
I had to go through a couple of years of beta blockers before this point, and now I’m on the progesterone, I never need the beta blockers anymore.

@Ticktockk good to know that your resting heart rate is back to normal, but just in case if you want to consider a natural approach versus progesterone. May be try cinnamon tea or Shetavari (you get this in India though- it’s an auyrvedic herb). Long time use of progesterone (synthetic progesterone) poses breast cancer risk.

Sorry for raising a Zombie thread, but I wondered how you got on with your heart racing issues OP @Janella

Hi @Chroniclesofstress
I had a number of tests and have had extended periods of monitoring as my HR has been up above 150-170 during rest times (eg at the desk at work). It remains a bit of a mystery but there's no underlying heart defect so I'm relived about that.

I'm seeing my cardiologist in a few weeks and I think that will be to discuss medication. The risk with the high HR is fainting I believe, which could affect my driving licence so if I have to go down the meds route I will. Feels young to be starting on pills for life though.

Are you struggling with something similar?

Thyroid bloods.

It's a textbook sympton for a overactive thyroid.

The risk of low blood pressure is fainting. The risk of high blood pressure is strokes & other problems

Interesting about the thyroid. I totally crash out after sugar and I'm following the glucose goddess principles now to try and "clothe my carbs" to try to manage this.

I'm always tired and nap 2-3 times a week after work for about 20 mins just to get through the evening. Already on HRT for a year but can't say I think it's made any difference - I'd probably just be even worse without it.

The strokes comment worries me. Think I need a good conversation with the cardiologist.

Isn't that just blood pressure and not heart rate?