Heart rate increase during the night

Posted , 5 users are following.

I've been suffering with worrying heart symptoms over the past few weeks.

It's happened three times now and under exactly the same circumstances.

I go to the toilet between 2:30 and 4:30am. I come back to the bed and I try to go back to sleep on my right or left l side and I do sometimes feel quite nauseous but I normally do in the night because of acid reflux.

Anyway I start feeling a bit uneasy and then start to get hot and sweaty despite the cold room, I get a rush of heat over me. The first time it happened was terrible and I was pacing around trying to get my heart rate to relax, screaming at my partner to call the ambulance. He got me to lay down in the bed and eventually my heart rate came back down to normal (gradually)

The last two times, I sit up in bed after I feel weird lying down as I know it's 'coming' and I try to stop it, but I can't and my heart started going fast in my chest again (feels different from doing exercise) I took my pulse using my oximeter last night (third occurance) and it was 150bpm. I layed down as I'm used to the pattern now and it slowly went down as I watched it on the monitor, to 130, 120, 110, 100 and finally about 85. 

What the hell is going on? It doesn't wake me from sleep and it also doesn't happen during the day either! (Yet!) 

It happens under no other circumstances other than that I mentioned above about going to the toilet in the night, coming back and it starts after a few minutes of lying down.

0 likes, 2 replies

2 Replies

  • Posted

    Hello GirlAfraid,

    it sounds to me that Anxiety is driving your heart rate up. When this happens slow down, slow deep breaths and your heart rate will soon return to normal. Anxiety is cruel when it grips you, and it does create physical symptoms, all born in your mind.

    What your symptoms are that cause the anxiety may need further investigation by your GP. Talk to your GP and they will investigate your heart if they believe there is concern or cause to do so.

    good luck

    Matt

  • Posted

    You sound like someone who is experiencing a "textbook" panic attack, I knew a person years ago who only had them at night, and was diagnosed after all the tests

    came back negative, with anxiety induced sinus tachycardia.  Do you have a lung

    problem?  Why do you have a pulse ox  device?  I have one, but I also have severe lung problems and a heart defect.  You definitely need to get this sorted out, even if it turns out to be psychiatric in nature.  Good luck.

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