Night time Blues

[Bandit007788]

Hello everyone new to the site. Do most afib come at night mine do ?

[pattiannj]

Mine have always come 95% of the time at night usually soon after I’ve gone to sleep - it always wakes me. I have now found a way of coping but at first it was very frightening. Have had to go to A&E a few times when it has made me feel really ill

[EngMac in reply to pattiannj]

For four years I have experienced this. I don't take medication. After 60 chiropractic visits, I seldom have AF at all. From my experience, I think laying on your back somehow affects the nerves telling the heart what to do. Try different height pillows, laying on your side, usually the right side, to see if this makes a difference. After many trips to the chiropractor, I found I could stop AF by standing, if I caught the AF just as it started. By feeling my pulse, I came to learn that when the pulse started to have spaces, then AF would soon start. If I stood, it would stop or sometimes I would need to stand and do a few exercises or then later all I had to do was roll my shoulders to move my back. Eventually, I could lay down in different ways, feel my pulse and if it did not have delays after a couple of minutes, then I would not have AF if I laid this way all night. Sometimes it meant sleeping in a recliner. Now a chiropractic adjustment may make it worse for a couple of days but then it seems to be ok again. The chiropractor is trying to get C1, T1, T2 and T5 to be in their correct position with the hope that the nerves will not be negatively impacted. Only T5 is the challenge of late and sometimes C1. T1 and T2 have been ok for quiet awhile. Apparently it takes a year for nerves to heal so maybe this is a reason for the long time it is taking to get results.

[SnoopyJ in reply to EngMac]

I only have Afib at night and usually starts around 3 a.m. and lasts for up to 7 hours. I've realized, after researching online, that this appears to be vagal and find that the larger meals, positioning while in bed, etc. are very problematic. Lately these episodes have attempted to start after I've been in bed for approx. an hour and if I sit up and lean forward while coughing it stops. I then prop myself up with many pillows in an upright position (not the most comfortable) and go to sleep like that. If I lay on my back or right side (gave up sleeping on left side a long time ago) it returns.

[CaroleF]

The thing about AF is that there seem to be so many variations (different triggers/no triggers/how AF is experienced etc)! My episodes seem to occur in the late afternoon, though I think many do experience it at night.

EngMac has given good advice about sleeping positions which may help. Avoiding eating a heavy meal in the late evening might also help. I think some might recommend not eating after 7pm too.

Welcome to 'our world'. Lots of very helpful people here with a wide range of experiences so do fire away with any questions you may have.

[Bandit007788]

Thanks for the great advice

[CDreamer]

Mine used to often start at night, now it always seems to be after lunch.........as soon as I think I have this taped, it mutates.

[Hidden]

Yes, mine was worse at night.

In my case to help, I avoided all alcohol and caffeine, eating a full-sized meal or anywhere near it, too much sugar. And I slept on my right side, rather than left or back.

[rosyG]

sounds as it you have vagal AF which comes on sleep/relaxation/ full tummy after meals!! Do look it up as treatment is a little different and beta blockers and digoxin are usually ( depending on you and your doctor) replaced by other meds

I am similar to you as have had a few episodes where I went to A and E- normally when pulse rate and BP were sky high!! Other times have been manageable at home.

Make sure you are having enough Potassium in your diet and maybe, to balance, a Magnesium supplement if advised ok by your GP. This reduced my AF to one short episode in 3 and a half years ( from several in 7 months)

[Tricia239]

Hi, Prior to my ablation this occurred to me on several occasions and I queried it with my EP. He explained that when you sleep your heart beats more slowly which then allows the rogue electrical pulses to creep in. Don’t know what one is supposed to do about that, and given that relaxation is good for us AFibbers I guess it must be a fine line between the two. Perhaps some of the tips given by others might help but they didn’t for me, but we are all different, so, good luck. Tricia

[RichMert]

I could trigger mine just by going from a standing to lying position.