Thought it was about time that I contributed to this excellent forum rather than just ask questions. This is a well known method to help slow down your heart during an AF episode and help you revert to NSR. The heart beat may adjust to match the heartbeat that you’re listening to. I’ve found this a very useful technique. It doesn’t always work, but sometimes it has cleared my AF episode within minutes.
A study showed that choir singers not only harmonize their voices, but they can also synchronize their heartbeats.
I’ve undertaken a course in meditation recently, and found listening to the heartbeat in itself is insufficient. It’s important to relax the body first by relaxing the muscles for 5 or 10 mins and doing slow breathing ( 5 breaths in and 5 out are recommended)
On the internet there’s some very useful YouTube videos. Below are some options that have a clear sound and have a range of heart beats as follows. (35, 40, 50 and 60 bpm). Can’t find any above 60 bpm. Best of luck!
Thanks for sharing Vince. I like the really slow heartbeat, find it soothing. We could do with these different beats being pinned posts, ready for anyone to easily listen too. Jean
Thanks really interesting about choir singers synchronizing their heartbeats. Thank you for sharing this.
Vince Have you come across any evidence that listening to extended periods of regular sound is effective in terminating AF?
The science behind the Doppel wrist wearable sold on the website you linked doesn’t look robust.
I like the 40 per minute heart beat simulator, I wonder if it is a good aid to sleep.
Do you think there may be a biological advantage to the phenomenon of entrainment, at the moment I’m not clear what purpose it serves.
in reply to
The biological advantage is in a group or family or nest of mammals you can know when to be alert and when to chill out and feel safe ...just like dogs pace around all night and never relax fully when they know there's a fox outside or theres a storm...and when all is well the dogs will totally go floppy on their tummies and all is well. We are a social species so synchrony of biological urges and states are useful to all group animals. Think of meer cats all standing up alert and how if their grandma is beside them all cozy and chilled the babies will learn when to chill out and not be so alert.if that makes sense.
Thanks Vince that's very helpful. I have added the '50 beat' to my list to try when I get another episode, thankfully as rare as hens teeth at present. I stopped an episode after 30 mins (unless it was a coincidence) several years back by relaxing on the sofa listening to slow heartbeat on YouTube. However, the next episode I had 2 years ago that didn't work but downing a very cold long drink did. I now have a long list of suggestions for terminating episodes from this Forum to try to save the NHS some money! Enjoy your day.
Sure. My own list not all tried myself but compiled largely from comments on this Forum. Caution may make matters worse particularly if other comorbidities:
Immediate running on spot or climbing stairs (before it gets established) /Cold drink/cold shower/hold breathe x2/breathing in and out using alternate nostrils or exhale completely, keep airways shut &try to inhale/ rest concentrating hard on slow heartbeat on Youtube/ short run/ cup of ordinary strength coffee (as I have had no caffeine for years)/hold nose & blow for 5 secs/big cough x3 (evidently causes an electrical pulse)/ lie on floor with legs up on wall or chair/apple cider (1/2 tsp) & salt (1/4 tsp)/sneezing/trampolining/fasting/valsalva maneover.
I've tried a couple of these in the past, with no change to my AF. I'm glad to see there are more to try!
I found these really unhelpful for me personally because generally my afib happens at night when my heart rate is really slow and listening to abronmally slow heartbeats made mine worse. I found good old rock and roll steady four four beat music helped me though. But these things brought it on worse for me. I don't have a fast beat I have a flutter so my heart beats very slow and then spazzes out like 10 beats a second it feels like. So slow beats may not suite someone who's like me.
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crazy Hazy and her extra/ missing heart beats 
Missed heart beat. Or entropic beats!
High resting heart beat
skipping heart beats 
