AF at night

[Jcvi]

hi, a brief history, I have Paroxysymal Attial fibrillation which started 2 and a half years ago. I had an ablation in December and since then I have had two episodes waking me up in the middle of the night which have lasted 40 and 20 minutes respectively and gone back into sinus rhythm without intervention. My Electro physiologist ahead suggested I get a sleep apnoea test which I am about to do. Does anyone have any experience of night time attacks and has it been linked to sleep apnoea.? Thank you all in advance

[Threecats]

Hi Jcvi

My AF episodes started at night and a sleep study revealed I had mild sleep apnoea. I’m in the UK and wouldn’t normally have been given a CPAP machine based on that result but I was in this case due to it triggering AF. After starting CPAP therapy the nighttime episodes became a thing of the past. CPAP therapy takes a bit of getting used to but was worth it.

Good luck with your sleep study, TC

[OzJames]

I was awakened by AF back in December. Someone posted here that the top of bed should be higher than the foot of bed 4-6 inches. I tried this as well as a small foam insert at top of bed between the base and mattress. I’ve been good since then. Mind you could be a bunch of things I’m doing but now I sleep better and no more snoring, wife is happy!

[lawspear]

Could be a rest and digest type trigger so I wouldn’t go to bed within 3 hours of eating a meal.

[secondtry]

Agree with all above comments. I would also add use a couple of extra pillows to stop turning over on your left side (AF can be caused by compression of the Vagus Nerve). Also try Breathright nasal strips.

My mantra is that AF is not usually caused by one sole issue to identify but a build up of multiple issues causing 'the AF glass to overflow'. I would therefore look at a wide range of options to improve your lifestyle choices, details are frequently mentioned on this board.

[Ppiman]

I read in a study that over a fifth and maybe a half of AF is linked to obstructive sleep apnoea. The causes and effect isn’t understood.

What is clear from studies I’ve read is that over half of people with OSA stop using their C-PAP machines and of those that continue many use them for too short a period doing the night to help with their AF it other cardiovascular issues.

The key things to reverse if at all possible with AF are being overweight, having sleep apnoea, diabetes, blood pressure and being inactive.

Steve

[pottypete1]

A few years ago I recorded my AF episodes over an 18 month period and entered the results on an Excel spreadsheet.

The result was that 56% of all my episodes came on waking. Next was night time episodes.

I think it is because the heart slows which allows rogue rhythms to occur.

Pete

[Fight-the-good-fight in reply to pottypete1]

Hi pottypete1. Your results are interesting.

You mention, it is your belief night time episodes occur because the “heart slows which allow rogue rhythms to occur”. I have also heard this to be the case…

Most of my AF episodes occur at night.

However, I am slightly confused - we are prescribed beta blockers in order to slow the heart rate down and reduce AF episodes. Some people even take them before bed.

Am I missing something?

Take care, stay well.

[pottypete1 in reply to Fight-the-good-fight]

The beta blockers slow the heart it is true but in my experience (30+ years) ectopic beats often managed to jump in and whilst not always they sometimes led to an AF episode.

I often say here though that we are all different. Many get AF at very high heart rates, I used to get AF at a much slower <80bpm rate.

Pete

[Fight-the-good-fight in reply to pottypete1]

Thanks for your response Pete. I also suffer from ectopic beats, so something I may have to endure further down the line…