Pounding heart at night

[lancashirerose]

I'm finding that I often wake up about an hour after going to sleep with my heart really banging away- I feel like a gigantic heartbeat thudding through my body and it is really difficult to sleep again. I've done a Kardia during these spells and it always says normal. Heart usually late 90's, even early 100's at these times. I've also done blood pressure monitor and this is always normal (last night it was in the ideal bracket even though I felt like a drum was hammering in my chest). I think it's worse if I've eaten or drunk more before going to bed. I had a small glass of red wine last night and I don't know if that set it off again. I'd like to hear if anyone else has this, it's very worrying at the time. Thank you.

[Tako2009]

Just a thought.... have you been checked for Sleep Aponea? I suffered from this many years ago and I would wake suddenly my heart beating loudly.

We are all different but I don’t eat late or if I can’t avoid it then I go to bed later still. And sadly just a sniff of red wine is likely to set of my AF and I really miss my glass of red in the evening.

Anyway- hope you are able to find a resolution- nothing worse than disturbed sleep for me 😴😴

[BobD Volunteer]

Tako has a veery good point. Ask you doctor for a sleep test.

[CDreamer]

HI - yes it’s very common. The recommendation is nothing to eat for 3 hours before retiring to bed, which can help. I found 20 mins relaxation exercise before bed really helps and avoiding lying on my left side so I had a pillow on my left side to prevent me from moving over. Sometimes propping up the bed so the head is slightly higher than the foot helps. Ensure you are very well hydrated before going to sleep. I will often drink a glass of water during the night as I have got to an age when I usually need to get up at least once.

Sleep is a time when there is lots going on in your body - all the housework is done whilst we are asleep so organs are busy removing toxins and repairing and renewing. During REM sleep the brain is being flushed with a liquid to clear out plaques which build up. That all takes quite a bit of energy.

Note the time that this happens - I found it is often at a similar time that corresponds to a particular organ - which can sometimes indicate that there is something ‘off’ with that organ so pay it particular attention. All Eastern style Meridian Medicine have an organ regeneration chart and funnily enough gall stone/liver is between 1-3a.m. so a glass of red wine would mean that when your liver will be working extra hard to process the alcohol.

Personally I avoid any red wine nowadays - I always wake if I have a glass after lunchtime.

[Coeurdelion in reply to CDreamer]

Well said. I concur with all you say.

It has taken me several years to reach these conclusions.

[Dawsonmackay]

That has happened to me as well and, in my case, I realized, strangely, that in my sleep I was holding my breath. I don't have sleep apnea and sometimes I do snore which may be an indication of that syndrome but I have been able to calm my heart pretty quickly if I resort to taking deep breaths for about five minutes. In fact, in my case, the heart-pounding that you described happens very infrequently now. I try to do an exercise daily where I am performing deep breaths for about five minutes.

[Hidden]

I agree with the people that have said you need a sleep study. Sounds like it could be sleep apnea.

When I underwent a sleep study most of my apneas were very early on the the sleep process, before REM. My O2 sats went below 80% so heart was pumping like mad to try and keep my brain functioning.

All the best

[lancashirerose]

Thanks to everyone who's written. I've been looking at sleep apnoea online, but I don't have the symptoms it talks about. I'm inclined to think more it's related to bloating, eating and so on. Hope so, coz that sounds a lot less scary! I don't snore, not very tired in the day, no sore throat or headache.. I'll keep a watch on what happens, what I eat etc and see if I can work it out.

[Gladaven in reply to lancashirerose]

Dear Rose 🌹 I often get this feeling that you mention, I have not got sleep apnea but I do have anxiety, I do not touch one drop of booze. My doc prescribes,2mg diazepam when really needed. I have AF I am prescribed beta blocker Bisoprolol 1.25mg dose daily, I am allowed an extra 1.25mg dose if I get palpitations which seems to work even if the doses are a few hours apart, I am 81years old female, I must not sleep on my left side, I just try and relax beside my darling hubby of 58yrs, hope this helps some how. Cheers Gladys x.

[lancashirerose in reply to Gladaven]

Thank you Gladys x

[Rubymurray25]

Never underestimate Sleep Apnea . I didn't have the normal symptoms , I'm not overweight , no real daytime sleepness and it was only when I posted my poor sleep issues and high BP when waiting up that someone on this site suggested a sleep test. I had the test and was classified as having severe SA with an average of 68 episodes an hour. My cardiologist is now adamant that SA caused my AF and is hopeful in time now that I am on CPAP breathing machine ( and don't be put off ) I will see an improvement and of course it probably saved something worse happening. youtube.com/watch?v=vwPBmE8...(Not working as expected?)

[lancashirerose in reply to Rubymurray25]

What is the test? Really difficult getting through to our surgery.

[Rubymurray25 in reply to lancashirerose]

The initial test at the doctors surgery is answering a series of questions to see if you qualify for the actual sleep apnea main test which can be a night study at hospital simply having a few wires connected like an ECG or being rigged up and walking out of the hospital and back home for the night. I would say that if you don't get a high score in the surgery you are not likely to get the main sleep test, worth bearing in mind. As an example you will be asked if you feel like you don't get a good nights sleep, do you feel tired during the day, could you fall asleep after a non-alcoholic lunch, would you fall asleep whilst watching TV. I think you have to score a question from one to three, there are 8 questions and I believe the qualifying mark is 18? Good luck.

[Goldfish7]

I'm in a similar position - I frequently get thumping heart tachycardia or just a very loud moderately fast heart beat often for hours on end. Whilst my Kardia picks up on the tachycardia it doesn't pick up on the thumping heart when its under 100bpm. I can get this at any time but pretty much without fail if I've exerted myself (only takes a short slow walk!!) an hour or so before. It also leaves me exhausted and robs me of sleep.

Sometimes I will get single or runs of ectopics with it but not always. It can even start itself from nothing in the middle of the night waking me up.

No idea what it is - medics don't seem to think its anything but it doesn't feel that way.

[lancashirerose in reply to Goldfish7]

It's horrible isn't it. I'm watching spicy food intake first to see if that makes any difference. I'm sure it's nothing serious asi feel too well.

[Goldfish7 in reply to lancashirerose]

Best of luck with your experiments - hope your not a curry addict!!

[secondtry]

Try 3 pillows in case it is partly your tongue flopping back and reducing air intake.

[concup]

Hi Lancashirerose,

Well I had exactly the same thing at 3am this morning!!Being in Permanent Afib it rarely happens much these days,but like you I still get a heck of a fright waking up with such a thumping heart!! Its just something you just cant get "used to" because its just so frightening!!

My way of dealing with it is to get up,have a glass of water then sit in a comfortable chair and really concentrate on my breathing.

Breathe in for 5 secs, hold for 5 then out for 5 and if possible hold you breath for a few more seconds on every 3rd breath. I also turn on very lite soft wave sounds which I have stored in my IPhone.

Works for me 100% of the time,but sometimes it does take a while.

Most times I dont go back to bed,but get a book out and read,usually falling asleep soon after. If all is well I might go back to bed after daylight.

[lancashirerose in reply to concup]

I often read till I feel calmer then sleep again and all is well.

[lancashirerose]

Thanks to you all - it's nice to know I'm not alone!

[Ianc2]

I usually stop eating and drinking after 7 pm, I don't take naps during the day and drink plenty of water. On the odd day, as a special treat. I have a small glass of red wine, or an even smaller glass of Port (5cl) with a meal, along with plenty of water. off to sleep at 11.20, wake at 7am. I keep a careful eye on my weight and exercise levels. Seems to be working so far.