Heart rate during sleep

Hi all,
It has been a while since I have posted here i hope you all are doing well. Some History on me I am 40 years old and I have had 2 Episodes of Afib
that required a visit to the ER since 2003. I am very glad i am not burdened with it more, i was very overweight until i started a Wheat Belly program
by William Davis in January of this year and happy to say i have lost a 105lbs, down from 350 to 245!...I have never felt better, I dont even experience PACS anymore, I do suppliment with MAG and POT. I am just taking it one day at a time but i feel great! My question is both times I have experienced afib it has been while waking up from sleep or shorty thereafter. I sleep fine but I have noticed for the last couple Months when waking up to turn over in bed, or just waking up my heart rate is high.I know when i was at my heaviest weight i had some form of sleep apnea and terrible snoring, I havent monitored yet but i would say well over a 100bpm. I dont understand what might be causing this? I asked my primary and he just gave me that deer in a headlights look. It makes me a bit edgey just because If thats happening while i sleep the fast heart rate might lead to an afib episode?.......I avoid absolutley all triggers 0 caffine, I eat totally clean, no starches or carbs, 0 alchohol except maybe 1 or 2 beers maximum if i go out on occasion. When i wake up to turn over or just wake up its racing, but after 3 or 4 calm breaths it slowns down t normal very quickly.....I am just out here looking to see if anyone has experienced this, or if this is just some flukey thing. Thanks for reading! Again hope everyone is well

Joe

Hi Joe - Congrats on your very important project of weight loss! Keep up the good work

Definitely, there is an association between overweight people and sleep apnea. When apnea occurs, there is oxygen deprivation and that sets off an alarm that releases adrenaline. The adrenaline surge causes an increase in heart rate and blood pressure so what you are experiencing is classic. This can promote or instigate arrhythmia. Shame on your primary care for not knowing this.

Sleep apnea is tied to risk of stroke and heart attack so this is important for you to investigate.

You can consult with a pulmonologist to set up a sleep study to determine the extent of your oxygen deprivation during your sleep cycle. Don't delay.

Best to you,
Jackie

If you haven't had a sleep study done, you will probably be surprised at you much you snore.

I concur with what Jackie said.

I you don't have one, I would get a pulse oxymeter. They run like $25 on Ebay, this will show your oxygenation rate.
You can tape it on your finger, and glance at it while you are lying down, or have someone monitor it while you sleep, until you get a real sleep study done. The sleep Doctots told me that at under 90% Oxygen saturation rate, is the threshold that indicates serious likelyhood of it impacting the Heart Rythm, When your heart-rate is that high it is like the load you would put on your heart if you were exercising to get it to that rate, and if that is going on all night it can cause Heart Failure.

The problem with relying on the oximeter is that it is just seen at that moment in time. Unless somone stays awake and watches the monitor while you sleep, you won't know of the events where your oxygen saturation levels dip below the 90%.

I live in NE Ohio and there is a dental practice that offers an overnight oxygen desaturation evaluation called a sleep study screening using the oximeter and a monitor (connected by contact patches with electrodes) that records while you sleep and shows how many events during the night where you are less than optimal and also in what position you were in when that occurred... ie, supine, prone, left side, right side... plus several other related measurements. It costs $100 and comes with an analysis of the results. Based on that, you can then take steps to see about a formal sleep study, if needed.

Jackie

I use an oximeter which can record heartrate and O2 saturation and then transfer it to computer for display the next day.
That way you can easily record numerous sessions instead of relying on just one night out of your life.
Pulse Chart
The newer version has a wristwatch type readout with a hospital type finger probe - no more taping a bulky unit to the finger!
Bluetooth Oximeter
I have had no trouble so far buying from China