Ask a doctor on the topic of Internal medicine

Pulse peaks of 120 during sleep normal?

September 8, 2016 | 20,00 EUR | answered by Dr. med. Ralf Berg

Hello,
I am 33 years old and have been suffering from insomnia for years, as well as slightly elevated blood pressure. I am being treated with Metoprolol.
About a year ago, I had a heart examination at the cardiologist, including an echocardiogram, 24-hour ECG, and stress ECG, which showed no abnormalities.
Today, I recorded my pulse overnight with a tracker. My average pulse was between 58 and 60, but there were also two spikes of 107 and 120. I cannot see how long these spikes lasted, as the measurements are taken every 10-15 minutes, max. 15 minutes. I was not consciously awake at any point.
Are spikes of 120 in pulse during sleep normal, or should I bring this up?

Best regards

Dr. med. Ralf Berg

Good day,

Thank you for your question.
Your resting heart rate between 58 and 60 is completely normal for your age.
Elevated values can occur during so-called REM sleep phases.
These are the times when we actively dream. We can even move or speak during this time. These phases are usually emotionally charged.
All of this can lead to the documented increases in heart rate.
We can only remember this when we are awakened at the end of such a phase. REM sleep phases generally last less than 15 minutes, so it is unlikely to measure consistently high heart rates one after another.

Best regards,
Dr. R. Berg