Low heart rate whilst asleep

[Nanaeli]

Hi. Is it normal to have a heart rate of 48 whilst asleep. I’ve had it before in March this year and a few times previous but last night I was alerted 3 times by my Apple Watch that my heart rate was too low for more than ten minutes? Thank you 😊

[Exie8]

Suggest you take off your Apple watch and enjoy a good night's sleep

[Nanaeli in reply to Exie8]

Lol! I couldn’t agree more to be honest. I really don’t normally wear it for bed but I’m menopausal 🙈 and get very little sleep so the nurse suggested trying to monitor my sleep pattern. So here I am wearing it for bed and this cropped up! But totally agree with you. 😊

[Exie8 in reply to Nanaeli]

It's fine to have a heart rate of 48 while you are asleep. It is not fine to have a watch waken you up to tell you it's not! I hope your sleep improves soon 💤😴

[Nanaeli]

I have an average pulse of 55-60 anyway so I suppose it’ll be normal for me to drop a little whilst I sleep. I don’t normally wear my watch for bed anyway so I suppose I was just a bit shocked and curious. But thank you for your advice 😊

[Coxtribe in reply to Nanaeli]

I'm exactly the same: at rest pulse of 55 to 60 but sub 50 when asleep. It did prompt some alerts when I was on CCU but I was advised that this was normal for someone with a low pulse rate like mine (and yours!). All good.

[ChoochSiesta]

Mine is only about 45 when awake!

[Palpman]

Mine is around 48 when awake and sometimes drops to 42. I'm not fit at all and not on any tablets.

[Gibson01]

Nanaeli, 48 does not sound too bad. My fitbit and then apple watch frequently indicated a sleeping heart rate of less than 40. I mentioned it to a couple of cardio's and my gp who said the watches are not accurate, even though the readings correspond well with the hospital blood pressure monitors! Spent a night in hospital after an unstable angina episode and my low heart rate kept setting off the alarm on the ecg monitor. I kept the hole ward awake all night, as every time I fell asleep the alarm would go off!After several days in hospital and numerous low pulse rates recorded in night time observations my cardio reduced the beta blocker medication and that lifted the rate by a few bpm to keep it above 40!

A nurse also explained that the bp monitors and watches can miss weak heartbeats and so would check the old fashioned way with their watch and finger on the wrist.

Hope this helps

[Stentrunner]

The Apple Watch alerts can be configured to a higher heart rate or turned off. I use the Autosleep app on my watch to monitor heart rate (among other things). Sleeping rate is usually 10% to 30% lower than resting rate during the day. Mine averages 40 at night, and often drops to 35 or so.

[BlackGazelleHound]

I am 72, with BMI 19; walk briskly for 40 minutes most days for exercise after HA requiring 2 stents a year ago. My resting heart rate has always been low and this morning is 43 after my first coffee. Dr. not concerned by this low heart rate.

I think the best advice you have been given is leave your watch on your bedside table at night and enjoy a good sleep without it waking you to tell you your heart is on a go slow.

[Villagelife]

I'm sure its perfectly normal.

[Ewloe]

I agree don’t wear your watch to bed. It’s well known the menopause can interfere with a good night sleep so wearing your Apple Watch for that won’t tell you anything you don’t already know. Think about what actually wakes you and ways to manage them. X

[Putterguy]

Hi Nanaeli, I also get low heart rate notifications through the night according to my Apple Watch I’m down to 39 bpm. Consultant reduced my bisoprolol from 2x 5 mg per day to 2 x 2.5 mg per day. The number of times I get the low notification has reduced but I still get them occasionally. My resting hr is usually in the middle 40s to low 50s. When I spoke to cardiologist about low heart rates he wasn’t too concerned but did say he would like it a bit higher. Hence the reduction in my meds. Hope this helps.

[HenryTudor]

I’m chuckling a little at the advice to simply not wear your watch overnight. Isn’t that rather like disconnecting the speedometer on your car so that you don’t know when you’re exceeding the speed limit?

What you should do is set the “do not disturb” app so that the watch records your heart rate overnight but doesn’t generate a notification and, therefore, doesn’t wake you up. You can check the silent notifications in the morning.

I go through phases where I get a lot of low heart rate warnings, and then it’s ok for weeks and weeks. I’ve not been able to establish a pattern or apparent cause, but the hospital and heart team aren’t concerned. They are only worried if it coincides with feeling faint or light headed.

You can also, as mentioned, adjust the settings on the AW. I’ve set the low heart rate at below 50.

IMO, and of course I’m not a doctor, it is worth monitoring but as long as you don’t feel unwell just have it on your list to discuss with your GP or cardiologist.

[Exie8 in reply to HenryTudor]

If hospital and cardiac team aren't concerned, do you really need to be monitoring? Just saying.

[HenryTudor in reply to Exie8]

Because I take responsibility for my own health, and what if it were to drop into the 30’s. That might be worrying. Just saying.

[Nanaeli in reply to HenryTudor]

Well after chest pain and bp being sky high, I’m now at A and E and the dr has asked if I’m an athlete as my HR is too low. Always better to get checked out. Maybe my Apple Watch was a warning/wake up call after all 👌 thank you

[HenryTudor in reply to Nanaeli]

IMO there’s no harm in having the information available and it may provide the medics with a useful indication. I think the AW is a useful device.

[Exie8 in reply to HenryTudor]

Oops! Looks like I've said the wrong thing again. May have to give this forum a rest for a bit.

[HenryTudor in reply to Exie8]

“Again”It’s just possible that a degree of self-awareness might help.

[Nanaeli in reply to HenryTudor]

My D dimer is highly raised so they are upping my blood thinners. I did have a bad fall ten days ago so this may have triggered all of the above. So I’m happy I followed my instinct and got it checked out!

[HenryTudor in reply to Nanaeli]

Spot on.

[Invermill]

Hi, my heart rate was dropping to 30 in hospital setting of alarms during the night. I had an ICD fitted and it's set at 50 so it kicks in if my heart rate drops.

[Alison_L in reply to Invermill]

My ICD is set at 40, and it's still kicking in 1.5% of the time, so obviously at night my HR really dips. Interestingly, my Polar watch rarely tells me it's dipped under 45.

[Blue428]

Hi ,

If your not having any other issues , I wouldn’t be too concerned. I’m experiencing random pain with a low heart rate which is being investigated.

[Wecando]

I'm 73. My heart rate is more in the 40s than 50s. Lowest I've been is 38. But if I get out in the garden and get stuck in, it can get up to the 60s. Specialists told me not to worry if I don't get any probs.. So I don't and get on with life.

[chickeninthewood]

On 24 hour ecg my mean heart rate was 70. The readings for the 24 hours ranged from 58 - 100. I don't know if this is ok or normal age 76 no medications but they didn't say it wasn't normal so fingers crossed.

[nilmonisikdar40]

Hello N, Yes you are right to be concerned. Are you very keep fit person whose low heart rate is known as athlete's bradycardia or just the opposite - are you taking drugs like beta blocker group of drugs?

[Nanaeli in reply to nilmonisikdar40]

Hi thank you for your reply. I am in edoxaban for AF but no other medication. I am currently sat in A and E with chest pain and high BP 212/100 and they have already mentioned that I have a low pulse and am I an athlete. Hopefully I’ll be home soon but at least I’ll have piece of mind. I had a bad fall ten days ago so maybe that is something to do with it 👌