What can cause palpitations at night?

Have you ever been comfortably tucked into bed, ready to catch some much-needed rest after a long day, only to find your heart picking up an annoyingly rapid rhythm? Palpitations are no joke. They can test one’s sanity and lower productivity levels at work.

In this article, we will explore various reasons why palpitations can occur when you’re about to drift off. But first …

What exactly are palpitations?

Palpitations describe what it feels like when your heart skips a beat or beats abnormally fast for no obvious reason. Medical experts refer to these sensations as ectopic heartbeat (don’t worry – We’ve got more eye-catching phrases coming!).

The cause of a palpitation might not always be serious; however, it is essential that you promptly seek medical attention when episodes become frequent or interfers with daily activities.

You may also experience accompanying symptoms such as lightheadedness, dizziness or shortness of breath while experiencing palpations which too requires immediate intervention. It’s best not to Google ’cause let me warn you- diagnostic paralysis warning signs lay ahead!

Too Much Caffeine?

Are you guilty of reaching for that sweet sweet cuppa late at night before sleeping? I hate to break this news but caffeine has its own set problems other than simply stealing away precious REM sleep from us insomniacs out there.

Caffeine elevates our blood pressure and stimulates the central nervous system directly leading to triggering those pesky little fluttering rhythms felt in our chest). It just keeps getting better doesnt it :).

Cutting back on caffeine consumption especially towards bedtime could significantly reduce nighttime palpations.

Sleep apnea

Allergy season making life miserable? constantly sniffle-snaffling and even snoring loudly through the night deserves sympathy points! Experiencing daytime drowsiness or feeling as though you never catch up on sleep despite clocking in 7-9 hrs per night? Obstructive and central apnea could be stirring up trouble.

Sleep Apnea is the fancy way of describing troubled breathing during sleep. When your body struggles to inhale enough oxygen, the heart has to work harder which in turn leads to palpitations. Catch-22 situation isn’t it ?

It’s advisable that you pay a doctor a visit if sleep disorder persists.

Dehydration

Dehydration is more than just thirst experienced whilst sleeping can cause electrical activities in our heart muscle cells to go awry leading to those jagged beats we dread so much..

Feeling thirsty before bedtime? guzzle some ice-cold water! Apart from keeping your body hydrated through the day, taking a few sips before going bed will prevent nighttime dehydration!

When experiencing significant dehydration, doctors recommend sports drinks or Pedialyte for adequate re-hydration; they are formulated with key electrolytes sourced from real-life unicorns (called salts) founds naturally present within blood.

Elusive magnesium deficiency

Magnesium is responsible for maintaining normal heartbeat at rest when we’re not active hence why athletes moonlight by rubbing them down their limbs!

When levels get low however … the decreased mineral amounts may trigger ectopic rhythms –(yes i know what you’re thinking wheres tachycardia !)

The risk factors associated with magnesium deficiencies include inadequate intake through diet alone.

It’s HIGH time this nutrient got all-star recognition status.

| Magnesium-rich foods |
|———————-|
| Almonds
Dark chocolate
Spinach
Black beans
Whole wheat bread

Adding more wholesome non processed foods containing comical-sounding elements like spinach might supply those sparkly vibes required for holding down endurance needed during typical day-to-day activities including deep zzzz’

Thyroid imbalances

The thyroid gland is responsible for regulating body metabolism by producing throyid hormones required for bodily functions. An imbalance of thyroid hormone levels, including hypothyroidism (low) and hyperthyroidism (high), can lead to palpitations especially during nighttime zzzz’s.

Symptoms associated with both hypo-and-hyper-thyroidism include pervasive fatigue at night-time affecting sleep patterns.

When experiencing severe symptoms such as hair loss or mood swings you might wanna have those glands checked out!

Alcohol & Tobacco usage

Bet money no one ever expected these….Most people kick back a cold one or two on from work right? Nights out with friends goes without saying. Save yourself the heartache and skip it!

Alcohol’s perpetual tagline “drink responsibly” should also extend towards drinking in moderation, which means curbing consumptions TO-DAY!

Notably nicotine raises anticipation but slow down tachycardia before sleeping; those pesky cigarettes are not worth the restless nights let them go up in flames already.

| Nicotine Withdrawal Symptoms |
|——————————-|
| Feeling restless
Rapid heartbeat
Anxiety
Difficulty concentrating

After quitting smoking permanently skin HEALTH improves depending apparently according to high-level medical research conducted between Teams Vs Parties/Weddings statistics 💪(but that’s another story). So why not improve nightly rumbling and quality health?

Medication Woes

You know what the fine print says … we’re all guilty of casting curious eyes over dosing instructions just be sure to read them well!.

Some medication may exaggerate ectopic rhythms; while some treat specific conditions increase your chances of having palpatations.

If medication ceases effectively managing condition/ daily stressors return DON’T take drastic measures without consulting physician early interventions will reduce complications arising due to self-management.

We hope this human-like article has shed sufficient light over possible palpatations causes. In all the fun our journey together made me totally forget its time to sleep but atleast do not fret heart-skip friends.

Sweet dreams!

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