Heart Palpitations at Night

Heart Palpitation refers to a condition of a fast, fluttering, or pounding heart rate. There is no fixed time for heart palpitations and they can happen anytime but are more noticeable at night. In rare instances, heart pounding at night can be a sign of a severe condition of arrhythmia (abnormal heart rhythm).

Heart palpitations can be triggered by various stimuli such as alcohol, nicotine, hormonal changes, stress, or caffeine consumption. In some rare cases, they can also be a symptom of a thyroid disorder or heart disease.

Causes of Heart Palpitations at Night

Heart palpitations are usually not harmful. They can sometimes occur due to the way you sleep, such as sleeping on your side in a bent-over position which can increase pressure in your body and cause palpitations.

There are many other reasons behind heart palpitations, some of them include:

• Anxiety, stress, and depression
• Panic attack
• Dehydration
• Diet pills and nasal decongestants
• Use of nicotine
• Obesity
• Fever
• Hormonal changes
• Consuming processed carbohydrates

Waking up with Heart Palpitations

Waking up with heart racing can be stressful but it is not always a sign of a severe condition. Heart palpitations in the morning can be caused by anxiety, lack of sleep, or heart arrhythmia. A racing heart upon awakening can also be caused by numerous reasons such as overconsumption of caffeine, use of stimulant medications, cold, fever, diabetes, or hyperthyroidism.

Symptoms of Heart Palpitations at Night

While lying down, you may experience chest fluttering, you may feel an irregular heartbeat at night, and your heart rate may either speed up, slow down or pause briefly for a second or two. You might also experience a racing heart and hear your heartbeat in your ears.

Treatment of Heart Palpitations

Heart palpitations, unless frequent, don’t usually require treatment. To relieve heart racing at night, practice deep breathing, meditate, and try relaxation techniques. Dehydration can cause heart palpitations, thereby when you experience heart pounding at night, drink a glass of water. Changing your sleeping position such as rolling over in bed or taking deep breaths may also alleviate heart palpitations.

When to See a Doctor

It is not always necessary to see a doctor if your heart racing is stimulated by anxiety, oftentimes, heart palpitations anxiety is lessened on its own. However, if they persist for a long time or affect your daily activities, you must seek medical help.  If the cause of your heart palpitations is unclear, you should also see a doctor for a diagnosis.

To determine the root cause of heart palpitations, the doctor might conduct the following evaluations:

• Physical Checkup
• Electrocardiogram (a pain-free test that assesses the electrical movement of the heart)
• Echocardiogram (use of sound waves to examine the heart and blood flow)
• Holter monitoring (a portable ECG device that tracks heart activity over a day or two)
• Event recorder (only records when activated by the wearer during heart palpitations)

Memon Medical Institute Hospital is one of the best cardiac hospitals in Karachi. With its team of qualified and best cardiologists in Karachi, its aim is to facilitate good health with the best care. A healthy heart should be a priority for every person and MMIH makes sure that no minor or critical heart condition is compromised.