Why do I feel heart palpitations at night?
Lying quietly at night removes distraction, so you notice beats you would never feel by day. Caffeine, alcohol, stress, poor sleep and lying on the left side all make skipped or forceful beats more noticeable.
Occasional flutters with no other symptoms are common and usually harmless. Palpitations with chest pain, fainting, breathlessness, or that run fast and last minutes deserve prompt medical review.
A useful habit: tap the rhythm on a table when it happens and count your pulse. That description helps a doctor more than any adjective.
Source: NHS, heart palpitations
See a doctor promptly if
- Palpitations with fainting, near fainting, or blacking out for a moment
- Palpitations with chest pain, pressure, or breathlessness at rest
- A racing heart that starts during exercise rather than while resting
- A fast or irregular heartbeat that lasts more than 30 minutes and will not settle
- A close relative who died suddenly and unexpectedly before the age of 50
- Palpitations in someone with known heart failure, a previous heart attack, or a weak heart muscle
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Answered by the AskDoc Medical Team · Medically reviewed under our Medical Director, MBBS · How we review
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