lennemagdalene

· 07 Feb 2022

Follow Following

Why Does My Heart Beat Fast When I Wake Up?

Have you ever woken up and realized that your heart is racing? If yes, how did that make you feel? In most people, this experience can be terrifying, right? In most cases, this racing may not even be a sign of a serious health problem. Many factors can make you wake up with a fast heartbeat. Stress, diabetes, anxiety, sleep problems, diet, pregnancy, heart arrhythmias, and others are among the many factors associated with a racing heart, especially on waking up. It is obvious to question our health about experiencing a fast heartbeat because it resembles a heart arrhythmia or palpitations. According to what most people know, having a palpitation may say something negative about your health, such as an impending heart attack or heart malfunctions. For this reason, many people end up in panic mode, which then makes the situation worse. Waking up with a fast heartbeat is mostly related to our everyday activities such as taking alcohol, caffeine and watching things that give us nightmares. However, getting this problem constantly may force you to see a doctor for a proper diagnosis and treatment. Below are some reasons you wake up with a fast heartbeat. They include:



Stress or Anxiety. We all go through problems in life that push us beyond the limits. Some of these problems may push us to stress and anxiety, which then impairs the quality of life. Stress has many causes, such as finance, relationships, endless bills, medical conditions, school, work, etc. Anytime you have stress or anxiety, it triggers your body to produce certain hormones known as stress hormones. Examples of these hormones are adrenaline, cortisol, norepinephrine, and others, and increase your heart rate. Because your heart is racing rapidly, you will end up experiencing palpitations on waking up. Even a slight amount of anxiety or stress can impair your heart rate and breathing pattern, making you think that you have a cardiac problem, even when you are healthy. According to American Family Physician, around 31% of all cases of heart palpitations are linked to mental conditions such as anxiety. People with stress may also go through symptoms such as shortness of breath, restlessness, and difficulty sleeping.



Caffeine. We find caffeine in most drinks, such as coffee and tea. Caffeine is a central nervous system stimulant and when taken, it increases your level of alertness. One major problem associated with a high intake of caffeine is that it gives you a pacing heart. This is because caffeine promotes the production of noradrenaline and norepinephrine, two brain chemicals that affect the heart in multiple ways. These two hormones increase heart rate and blood pressure, making your heart beat fast. They work by narrowing the blood vessels at the extremities such as hands and feet. Noradrenaline, to be specific, redirects blood to essential organs such as the heart and kidney, and brain. These hormones also produce greater resistance that your heart cannot keep up with and this raises your blood pressure. Elevated blood pressure will the give make your heart go faster the next morning, especially if you take caffeine before bedtime. Other negative consequences of taking too much caffeine are too much urination, troubled sleep, irritability, jitteriness, anxiety, nervousness, etc.



Consuming Too Much Sugar. Sugar is one cause of many health problems in the 21st century. Unlike many centuries ago when sugary foods were few, sugar is killing our generation day by day. Most often, sugar is found in many foods and drinks we consume daily. If you go to the food store, for example, it is easier to find food and drinks written “sugar-free” right? Contrary to what many people think, some of these so-called “sugar-free” diets contain high amounts of hidden sugar. On consuming them this sugar affects your body system bit by bit. When you take sugary foods before you sleep, your body absorbs this glucose easily into your bloodstream. This excess glucose causes a spike in the blood sugar, which signals the pancreas to release insulin to convert this sugar into energy. Your body interprets this increase in blood sugar and sudden energy as stress. In return, the body produces stress hormones that make your heart beat faster. You can also find sugar in other foods, such as carbohydrates like pasta, white bread, and white rice.



Sleep Difficulty. Any condition that affects your ability to sleep can give you a fast-beating heart the next morning. One of such conditions is sleep apnea. Sleep apnea happens in people while they are sleeping and makes people stop breathing as they should. This interrupted breathing reduces the amount of oxygen that your body is supposed to receive for proper functioning. This situation puts pressure on the heart, making it struggle to pump blood into the lungs and the rest of the heart, and this gives you palpitations. How would you know that you have sleep apnea? Consider the following signs and symptoms: waking up gasping for air, dry mouth on waking up due to mouth breathing, constant waking up, feelings of sleepiness and tiredness the next day, loud snoring, etc.



Atrial Fibrillation. We also know this as A-Fib in medical terms. It is a heart condition that occurs when the heart's upper chambers (atria) beat out of coordination with the lower chambers (ventricles). A-fib occurs when the electrical signals of the heart are impaired, making the heartbeat too fast. It is one of the most common abnormal heartbeats and is associated with palpitations, fatigue, and shortness of breath. People who suffer from A-Fib often describe these palpitations as “racing heart” and induce dizziness, weakness, and severe chest pain, also known as angina. Atrial fibrillation is never a serious condition, but sometimes, it increases your risk of developing more serious health complications such as heart failure and strokes.



Conclusion. Waking up with a fast heartbeat does not always mean that something is wrong. It could mean that you had too much caffeine and sugar the previous night. Racing heartbeats usually resolve on their own with no treatment. However, if you constantly experience a racing heart, beat every time you wake up, it could mean you have a problem that may require immediate medical attention. In such instances, you could have heart failure, impending stroke, and other conditions like hypertension that can impair your quality of life when not treated on time. The best way is to look for triggers that cause you to wake up with palpitations. If the cause is caffeine, for example, you can try to do a caffeine detox and adopt other foods and drinks that have no caffeine. To see more causes of a fast heartbeat on waking up, check these links out:
https://www.self.com/story/reasons-your-heart-is-racing
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/326354
#Heartbeat #Arrhythmias #Heart #Pain #Difficultybreathing #Sleepapnea #Anemia #sleepdisorders #Atrialfibrillation #Angina #Caffeine