Heart rates spikes while sleeping

[sharks]

I have pots and my heart rate jumps up to 120 while I am walking which is not super high. But not great. While I sleep my heart rate will go down to 64, then shoot back up to 75-80 within 20 mins. And this happens over and over until I get up around 3-4 am and can't go back to sleep.

When I was an active drinker in my 20's I used to get up around 3/4 am and then go back to sleep. I assumed it was sugar and had my blood sugar and pancreas and diabetes testing and everything came back normal. I also don't lack vitamins and minerals.

 

[belize44]

I have a similar thing going on, too. When I first start to fall asleep, I feel my heart skip a beat than it starts being irregular. Sometimes I get up and check my BP and it is very high. I have tried raising the head of my bed from four to six inches, but it doesn't seem to help. On most morning I wake with high blood pressure, but after being upright for a few hours it drops down to my normal range. It fluctuates through the night, too. Sipping salt water followed by regular water helps sometimes.

 

[sharks]

I have a similar thing going on, too. When I first start to fall asleep, I feel my heart skip a beat than it starts being irregular. Sometimes I get up and check my BP and it is very high. I have tried raising the head of my bed from four to six inches, but it doesn't seem to help. On most morning I wake with high blood pressure, but after being upright for a few hours it drops down to my normal range. It fluctuates through the night, too. Sipping salt water followed by regular water helps sometimes.

Do you think you have sleep apnea?

 

[belize44]

Almost positive.

 

[Sidney]

I have pots and my heart rate jumps up to 120 while I am walking which is not super high. But not great. While I sleep my heart rate will go down to 64, then shoot back up to 75-80 within 20 mins. And this happens over and over until I get up around 3-4 am and can't go back to sleep.

When I was an active drinker in my 20's I used to get up around 3/4 am and then go back to sleep. I assumed it was sugar and had my blood sugar and pancreas and diabetes testing and everything came back normal. I also don't lack vitamins and minerals.

I don't know if this is a related phenomenon, but I have started using a chest strap heart monitor, having used a Fitbit or Polar sports watch to track my HR for a long time, and I have been amazed at the difference, but don't know if it matters:

During my 5 minute HRV session with the Monitor every morning, my HR can go from 0-168, but in no consistent way.

But according to the watch, it also varies all the time, but is always in the low 60s on waking and when resting, and varying from 80s to maybe 110 or 120 at most, when doing something tiring. This seems to be a huge difference.

Do I get these very high readings from the Monitor just because it is so much more accurate that it measures each microsecond, and the sports watches are so much less sensitive?

In other words, are the high readings insignificant?

 

[sharks]

I don't know if this is a related phenomenon, but I have started using a chest strap heart monitor, having used a Fitbit or Polar sports watch to track my HR for a long time, and I have been amazed at the difference, but don't know if it matters:

During my 5 minute HRV session with the Monitor every morning, my HR can go from 0-168, but in no consistent way.

But according to the watch, it also varies all the time, but is always in the low 60s on waking and when resting, and varying from 80s to maybe 110 or 120 at most, when doing something tiring. This seems to be a huge difference.

Do I get these very high readings from the Monitor just because it is so much more accurate that it measures each microsecond, and the sports watches are so much less sensitive?

In other words, are the high readings insignificant?

For me the readings are very close as I occationally do a manual check as well. My heart rate shoots high when I am not doing anything tiring. If I was lifting boxes or moving around it goes to 140. But if I am casually walking down the street it's 120. I feel like it should be 10/20 points lower.

 

[MastBCrazy]

I found it quite odd, seeing the heartrate spikes in the middle of my sleep. My HR monitor has consistently tracked fairly closely with my bloodpressure monitor. It typically is worse for me in PEM. Mind you, I only have orthostatic intolerance, and don't usually get tachy, unless deep in PEM.

I find I happens more reliably when lying dead flat. I'm a bit better if propped up. For me, it gets tricky as the neuropoathy leaves on the back with nothing touching as the only sleeping position. Sleep... Yet one more instance of trying to 'thread the needle wearing mittens'.

I was reading about some simple hacks for orthostatic intolerance (likely also for POTS) here written by a few Mayo specialists, but more focused on blood volume.

 

[ryan31337]

In case it helps someone I thought i'd mention that this issue, particularly the morning surges that would wake me up around 6am with tachycardia and 'stress' dreams have abated since starting Ivabradine. Whether this is a direct result of the Ivabradine action or just a general improvement brought about by reducing HR throughout the day I couldn't say. Circadin (slow release melatonin) also helped to a degree.

A separate sleep related issue was waking up with symptoms of a hypo, 4hrs or so after going to bed. This turned out to be reactive hypo (I'd always eat shortly before bed) and was treated successfully with dietary changes.

I had POTS confirmed through testing and polysomnography that ruled out primary sleep disorders (just terrible sleep quality very common with POTS!).

 

[cyclamen]

This is a very interesting slide show about decreased sleep quality in POTS, especially hart rate spikes:

https://de.slideshare.net/mobile/DukeHeartCenter/5-xavier-preudhomme-potspresentation4151

 

[sharks]

I found it quite odd, seeing the heartrate spikes in the middle of my sleep. My HR monitor has consistently tracked fairly closely with my bloodpressure monitor. It typically is worse for me in PEM. Mind you, I only have orthostatic intolerance, and don't usually get tachy, unless deep in PEM.

I find I happens more reliably when lying dead flat. I'm a bit better if propped up. For me, it gets tricky as the neuropoathy leaves on the back with nothing touching as the only sleeping position. Sleep... Yet one more instance of trying to 'thread the needle wearing mittens'.

I was reading about some simple hacks for orthostatic intolerance (likely also for POTS) here written by a few Mayo specialists, but more focused on blood volume.

Have you had a sleep test? It may be sleep apnea.