Fitbit heart rate oddity
October 22, 2020 7:29 PM Subscribe
I have a Fitbit Inspire HR, and I just noticed that my heart rate spiked to 130 BPM from 74 BPM while I was asleep last night.
I definitely don't remember that happening. The app shows that I was in a light stage of sleep at that time, not REM, which would make sense. Could it just be a weird error? It seems to have been pretty accurate up to now.
I definitely don't remember that happening. The app shows that I was in a light stage of sleep at that time, not REM, which would make sense. Could it just be a weird error? It seems to have been pretty accurate up to now.
It's just a weird error.
...or it's sleep apnea. If it's that, you'll have other hints (have you ever woken up with your heart racing?)
posted by aramaic at 7:39 PM on October 22, 2020 [2 favorites]
...or it's sleep apnea. If it's that, you'll have other hints (have you ever woken up with your heart racing?)
posted by aramaic at 7:39 PM on October 22, 2020 [2 favorites]
In my experience with several fitness trackers and smartwatches, the heart rate info is about as meaningful as a horoscope. It's more of a "huh, that's interesting" than an "oh my god I must be dying."
posted by fiercecupcake at 8:55 PM on October 22, 2020
posted by fiercecupcake at 8:55 PM on October 22, 2020
Some movements can cause heart rate fluxuations on some monitors, so if your wrist was twitching just right it could have made it pop up. They aren't the most accurate things in the world. You can try when your awake to see if movements or tapping (it tapping against a pillow or a bed or even your finger). A good rule of thumb is that you're looking for patterns and long term averages on these things, not the short term variations from second to second.
The longer the reading and the frequentcy of the reading and the frequency would make it more concerning. If this were happening every night, for 2 minutes then it would be more worth tracking down if it's an error or something else, or if you maintained a high rate rate for a few minutes at rest it may be worth investigating if it's repeatable.
I, a person with a natrually tachycardic heart, no one was even remotely interested in testing or addressing it until it started to interfere with some medication that did increase heart rate as well. My normal at rest baseline of 115-120 when awake but with the medication I was topping out about 160 with basic activity. I was having significant shortness if breath and my oxygen saturation was dropping. That was obviously not good and got me hospitalized and a cardiologist. But I who sees lots of doctors was noted I had a heart rate at 120 pretty much all the time and no one was concerned at all prior to that incident. (For the record my heart is just fine, I just need to be aware of medication interactions).
posted by AlexiaSky at 10:57 PM on October 22, 2020
The longer the reading and the frequentcy of the reading and the frequency would make it more concerning. If this were happening every night, for 2 minutes then it would be more worth tracking down if it's an error or something else, or if you maintained a high rate rate for a few minutes at rest it may be worth investigating if it's repeatable.
I, a person with a natrually tachycardic heart, no one was even remotely interested in testing or addressing it until it started to interfere with some medication that did increase heart rate as well. My normal at rest baseline of 115-120 when awake but with the medication I was topping out about 160 with basic activity. I was having significant shortness if breath and my oxygen saturation was dropping. That was obviously not good and got me hospitalized and a cardiologist. But I who sees lots of doctors was noted I had a heart rate at 120 pretty much all the time and no one was concerned at all prior to that incident. (For the record my heart is just fine, I just need to be aware of medication interactions).
posted by AlexiaSky at 10:57 PM on October 22, 2020
Response by poster: Ok, thanks all for confirming what I suspected!
posted by cozenedindigo at 3:06 AM on October 23, 2020
posted by cozenedindigo at 3:06 AM on October 23, 2020
My Garmin watch will often report my HR as double what it is and give me credit for exercise I'm not doing. As in, I count my pulse at jugular and it's half what my watch says. Different manufacturer, but I'm guessing the algorithm is similar.
posted by Lazlo Hollyfeld at 5:38 AM on October 23, 2020
posted by Lazlo Hollyfeld at 5:38 AM on October 23, 2020
It might have just gapped away from your skin for a short time and tried to keep counting while also trying to restart the counting process simultaneously.
posted by sexyrobot at 2:34 AM on October 26, 2020
posted by sexyrobot at 2:34 AM on October 26, 2020
This thread is closed to new comments.
It's much more likely your fitbit had a fit than that your heart did.
posted by RustyBrooks at 7:36 PM on October 22, 2020 [8 favorites]