Bradycardia: Slow Heart Rate | American Heart Association American Heart Association. A sleeping heart rate is just what it sounds likeyour heart rate when you're sleeping. Table 1. As you exercise, periodically check your heart rate. An observational study conducted in Norway that looked at 20,000 participants found similar results, even when controlled for factors, such as body mass index (BMI) and life. Read our full, National Library of Medicine, Biotech Information. Your resting heart rate is the number of times your heart beats per minute when youre at rest. 1-800-242-8721 This may cause other symptoms such as fainting, lightheadedness or shortness of breath, or allow blood to back up in the heart. His research and clinical practice focuses on the entire myriad of sleep disorders. Bradycardia, which is more common in older adults, describes a resting heart rate that is below 60 beats per minute (bpm). National Center http://www.heart.org/en/healthy-living/fitness/fitness-basics/target-heart-rates. Executive Editor, Harvard Heart Letter. Get the recommended seven to nine hours of sleep at night. We discuss what is considered a normal sleeping heart rate for each age range, as well as share signs to look out for that may indicate an underlying condition. Having trouble falling asleep? MedTerms medical dictionary is the medical terminology for MedicineNet.com. Sauer WH. While a low resting heart rate often suggests greater physical fitness, some situations can make your RHR too low . Resting heart rate is the number of beats per minute the heart takes while a person is fully rested. The content on this website is for informational purposes only. Heart rate: What's normal? - Mayo Clinic A resting heart rate that is too low (less than 50 beats per minute), or one that is 100 or higher, could be a sign of trouble and should prompt a call to your doctor. (Measuring for just 15 seconds and multiplying by four is also pretty accurate.). https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5056628. Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. Aug. 1, 2018. She specializes in aging, long-term care, caregiving, retirement and a variety of other health and retirement topics. Trusted Source Brief spikes in heart rate during stress or physical activity are normal, but a resting heart rate that is consistently higher than average could indicate heart disease, or a thyroid problem. The National Center for Biotechnology Information advances science and health by providing access to biomedical and genomic information. American Heart Association. Her professional interests include preventive cardiology, medical journalism, and health policy. Plagiarism is never tolerated. Tracking heart rate during sleep can provide valuable information about overall health and sleep quality. 10th ed. Take your pulse on the inside of your wrist, on the thumb side. An athlete or more active person may have a resting heart rate as low as 40 beats per minute.