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What Causes Increased Nightmares With Arrhythmia?
Question: Hi,
I'm a 50 year old male, good health, non smoker and drinker and take no medications.
I've noticed in the last two weeks I wake up during sleep from a dream with a fast beating heart which last
20-30 seconds then returns to a normal rate and this can happen two to three times a night. I am under stress from work in the last few months which sometimes wake me up. Any ideas?
I'm a 50 year old male, good health, non smoker and drinker and take no medications.
I've noticed in the last two weeks I wake up during sleep from a dream with a fast beating heart which last
20-30 seconds then returns to a normal rate and this can happen two to three times a night. I am under stress from work in the last few months which sometimes wake me up. Any ideas?
Brief Answer:
I recommend as follows:
Detailed Answer:
Hello!
Thank you for asking on HCM!
I understand your concern and would explain that dreams and nightmares are commonly associated to an autonomic reaction, which means tachycardia, breathing changes, sweating, etc.
From the other hand anxiety and psychological stress can lead to increased nightmares and an increased sympathetic nervous system activity.
Anyway, it is important to exclude a possible cardiac arrhythmia. I recommend consulting with your attending physician for a careful physical examination, a resting ECG, a cardiac ultrasound and some blood lab tests (complete blood count, blood electrolytes, kidney and liver function tests, thyroid hormone levels, fasting glucose) to exclude other possible causes of increased heart rate or ectopic beats.
An ambulatory 24-48 hours ECG monitoring is necessary to examine your heart rhythm trends during day and night.
If all the above tests result normal, the main cause of your symptoms would remain just anxiety.
You should discuss with your attending physician on the above issues.
Hope to have been helpful!
Feel free to ask any other questions whenever you need!
Greetings!
Dr. Iliri
I recommend as follows:
Detailed Answer:
Hello!
Thank you for asking on HCM!
I understand your concern and would explain that dreams and nightmares are commonly associated to an autonomic reaction, which means tachycardia, breathing changes, sweating, etc.
From the other hand anxiety and psychological stress can lead to increased nightmares and an increased sympathetic nervous system activity.
Anyway, it is important to exclude a possible cardiac arrhythmia. I recommend consulting with your attending physician for a careful physical examination, a resting ECG, a cardiac ultrasound and some blood lab tests (complete blood count, blood electrolytes, kidney and liver function tests, thyroid hormone levels, fasting glucose) to exclude other possible causes of increased heart rate or ectopic beats.
An ambulatory 24-48 hours ECG monitoring is necessary to examine your heart rhythm trends during day and night.
If all the above tests result normal, the main cause of your symptoms would remain just anxiety.
You should discuss with your attending physician on the above issues.
Hope to have been helpful!
Feel free to ask any other questions whenever you need!
Greetings!
Dr. Iliri
Note: For further queries related to coronary artery disease and prevention, click here.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Answered by
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