What is the normal heart rate during sleep?

[Josh]

HR during sleep? It is written or plotted on the graph. can you all please take a look at it?
Thanks.

[Billinseattle]

It depends...

The heart rate during sleep should slow down slightly, or be about the same as when awake and not stimulated (your "baseline" heart rate).

It shouldn't speed up. It shouldn't be too slow. It should be without a lot of extra beats. These would tend to go along with a severe decrease in oxygen or increase in CO2 (that might not be cleared because of an obstruction).

There is no absolute number for a "normal" heart rate. It is individualized. On TV, the average baseline is between 60-80. Slower if your are an athelete & fit. Faster if you are not fit, are taking some medications, drink caffeine or smoke.

Bill

[Vix]

Very true Bill. Additional info: any rate over 100 is considered tachycardia, and anything under 60 is bradycardia, so technically a normal HR must fall between these two numbers.

[Billinseattle]

Hi Vix,

The exception (hence my "TV" wisecrack) is on the bradycardic end...where "normal" can vary substantially depending on the individual.

On the tachy end, just cause it is 80-100 doesn't make it "ok" in some populations even if it fits the "normal" criteria.

The most important measure is the individual's trend (recent and remote)...and the correlation to other signs or symptoms. If my heart rate were 90 or 100 (and it is usually below 65), I'd be curious enough to get checked out even though it is all in the normal range. Likewise, if there is a long term trend up or down several points, I'd be curious but less concerned (despite the "normal" value).

Bill

[Guest]

Anywhere from 60 to 100 bpm is ok. I have seen many patient's close to 100 and they didn't have tachycardia. The key is a normal ECG and between 60 and 100.

[Vix]

Bill -
I agree with what you are saying in regard to individual differences and making a judgement of normality based on your own history. I was only adding the technical facts as additional information. And technically speaking, for example, a nurse on a cardiac floor would not report to the MD that the patient was tachy unless he was over 100, and likewise would call him brady if he were under 60. But like you, I would worry too if my HR was very different from my own norm for no apparent reason, even if it fell within the 60-100 "normal" range.

[Billinseattle]

Agreed,

What is a normal RR ? And does that always apply (and to everyone) ?

My primary point is, textbook parameters are one thing.

An individual's norms are another.

That is why, ultimately , a human reads study results, examines the patient , and then talks to him/her putting it all together...and not a machine. Recording devices are fine. But, someone needs to translate and apply the figures to the individual's physiology.

I scratch my head when someone posts that they have sleep lab results, instructions from a GP (who probably isn't sleep boarded or hasn't had a wealth of experience in the field)... but hasn't hooked up with a sleep doc. (or someone knowledgeable and invested who can put it together). But that's another topic.

[Guest]

The normal Respiratory Rate of 12 bpm to 20 bpm is considered normal.

[ASaxon]

My cardiologist didn’t get concerned until my sleeping heart rate dropped below 40. From my research many people have sleeping heart rates below 60 and it is considered completely normal. For athletes, a waking resting heart rate can be in the 40’s or low 50’s with a sleeping heart rate in the 20’s or 30’s. However, if you’re not an athlete then a sleeping heart rate below 40 could indicate a problem and perhaps more tests should be done.

Apnea can cause a drop in heart rates especially in hypopnea related OSA from what I understand. So correcting the OSA may prevent the bradycardia.

My heart rate was dropping into the low 30’s before treatment but now my heart rate now drops to the mid 40’s. My doctor considers this normal and as long as I don’t have any other problems like arrhythmias and my EKG looks normal then I should worry about it since it could be normal for me.

[Josh]

I have sitting rate of 60 or 64 and sleeping is vicinity of 55-70.

[ASaxon]

Josh,

Sounds like you don't have a bradycardia problem. Even when you're sleeping your heart rate looks normal to me. If there's any symptoms you experience then I'd make sure you discuss it with your doctor. Otherwise, those heart rates look completely normal.

P.S. I'm not a doctor so make sure you discuss this with yours if you are concerned about it.

[MichHH]

I measure it every night with the Oximeter. When I get excited and wake up
to look at it, sometimes it gets into the 70s. During the day, it can run fast,
up in the 90s. The Doctor said it should be in the 70s or 80s during the day.

[ASaxon]

To my knowledge it depends on what you’re doing. Normal resting heart rates range from 60 to 100. Any resting heart rate in that range is considered normal. When you get to the edges of that range then as long as the heart is in normal sinus rhythm then I don’t think doctors think twice about it. My Father’s heart rate is normally around 85 - 90 and I’ve seen it go up to 100 and more after a meal. This isn’t uncommon or anything to worry about so long as there isn’t any symptoms or related clinical condition.

My heart rate averages around 65 during the day and drops to around 45 at night. I’m not in good condition so I don’t think it’s due to conditioning. Even though my heart rate is slower than normal when I sleep my cardiologist (who is very well respected in my area) does not think it’s a problem to worry about. He says that it’s not unusual for people to drop into the 50’s when they sleep. And a drop into the 40’s isn’t that unusual either. However, before CPAP I was dropping into the low 30’s and he did say that could be a problem. Started talking about pacemakers and stuff but wanted to wait and see what the results of my CPAP therapy would bring to my condition. Now he’s not as worried about it now that I’m up to the mid 40’s when I sleep.