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How do you calm a racing heart at night?

Author

Noah Mitchell

Published Jan 21, 2026

If your heart is racing at night, you should: Breathe deeply: Try pursed lip breathing techniques, which involve long, deep breaths. You can also meditate and try other relaxation techniques to reduce stress. Drink a glass of water: If you're dehydrated, your heart has to work harder to pump blood.

How do you bring down a racing heart?

The following methods can help to reduce palpitations.

  1. Perform relaxation techniques. Share on Pinterest Studio Firma/Stocksy. ...
  2. Reduce or eliminate stimulant intake. ...
  3. Stimulate the vagus nerve. ...
  4. Keep electrolytes balanced. ...
  5. Keep hydrated. ...
  6. Avoid excessive alcohol use. ...
  7. Exercise regularly.

How can I stop my heart racing fast?

If you think you're having an attack, try these to get your heartbeat back to normal:

  1. Breathe deeply. It will help you relax until your palpitations pass.
  2. Splash your face with cold water. It stimulates a nerve that controls your heart rate.
  3. Don't panic. Stress and anxiety will make your palpitations worse.

How do you calm an anxious race heart?

How can I manage heart palpitations and anxiety?

  1. Coping with stress.
  2. Diaphragmatic breathing.
  3. Exercising regularly.
  4. Getting enough sleep.
  5. Meditation.
  6. Pursed-lip breathing.
  7. Tai chi, yoga or other mindful movement.

Why is my heart beating so hard at night?

Stress: Anxiety, depression, and stress can affect your heart rate. Alcohol or caffeine: Having either of these stimulants close to bedtime can cause your heart to race and make it difficult for you to sleep.

43 related questions found

Can't sleep heart is pounding?

Heart palpitations at night occur when you get the feeling of a strong pulse in your chest, neck, or head after you lay down to sleep. It's important to note that while these may be unsettling, they're usually normal and aren't typically a sign of anything more serious.

Why does my heart race when I lay down?

Patients may ask, "Why does my heart beat fast when I lay down?" Most often palpitations are caused by the change in position of the body. When you lay down you compress the stomach and chest cavity together, putting pressure on the heart and blood flow and increasing circulation.

What is the best position to sleep in for your heart?

Those who have had heart failure or other heart conditions should sleep on their right side whenever possible. Right-side sleeping lets the heart rest in place with help from the mediastinum, preventing the disruption of your heart's electrical current.

What side should you sleep on for your heart?

Similarly, sleeping on your left side, specifically, could help the flow of blood to your heart. When your heart pumps blood out to your body, it gets circulated and then flows back to your heart on the right side, Winter explains.

What is a racing heart a symptom of?

Stress, exercise, medication or, rarely, a medical condition can trigger them. Although heart palpitations can be worrisome, they're usually harmless. Rarely, heart palpitations can be a symptom of a more serious heart condition, such as an irregular heartbeat (arrhythmia), that might require treatment.

When should I worry about heart palpitations at night?

Sometimes, heart palpitations are signals that something serious is wrong in the body. Please call an ambulance or seek emergency care if any of these occur with heart palpitations: Chest pain or upper body pain. Dizziness.

What foods stop heart palpitations?

If you are experiencing worrying heart palpitations, it's a good idea to avoid foods that cause palpitations. Some of the most common foods that lead to palpitations include: Caffeine. Alcohol.
...
Some dietary supplements can cause heart palpitations, such as:

  • Bitter orange.
  • Ginseng.
  • Ephedra.
  • Valerian.
  • Hawthorn.

Does drinking water help lower heart rate?

As well as activating the sympathetic nervous system, water drinking also enhances cardiovagal tone in young healthy subjects. This is demonstrated by a reduction in heart rate and an increase in heart rate variability (20).

When should you go to the hospital for rapid heart rate?

If you feel like your heart is beating too fast, make an appointment to see a health care provider. Seek immediate medical help if you have shortness of breath, weakness, dizziness, lightheadedness, fainting or near fainting, and chest pain or discomfort.

Does aspirin lower heart rate?

The lower heart rate after aspirin was due to reduced intrinsic heart rate rather than to lower sympathetic activation of the heart, since similar effects were observed in isolated perfused hearts, while circulating levels of catecholamines and beta-adrenergic responsiveness were not influenced.

Does cold water lower heart rate?

Studies have shown that drinking chilled water not only decreases the heart rate but also stimulates the vagus nerve. The nerve which controls the involuntary functions of the body. The nerve is also an integral part of the nervous system.

What medicine lowers heart rate?

Beta-blockers - can be used to slow down your heart rate, and improve blood flow through your body. You may take this drug if you have been diagnosed with irregular heartbeats, or high blood pressure. Some examples of this medication may include: Metoprolol (Lopressor®), propanolol (Inderal®), and atenolol (Tenormin®).

Is water good for heart palpitations?

Drink enough water

That can increase your pulse rate and potentially lead to palpitations. If you feel your pulse climb, reach for a glass of water. If you notice your urine is dark yellow, drink more fluids to prevent palpitations.

Why you should not sleep on your right side?

Does side sleeping cause shoulder pain? One notable drawback to sleeping on your side is that it can increase your risk of shoulder pain. Whether you're on your left or right side, the corresponding shoulder can collapse into the mattress as well as up toward your neck, creating misalignment and pain the next morning.

Why does AFib happen at night?

A: It's not uncommon for atrial fibrillation (AFib) to occur at night. The nerves that control your heart rate typically are in sleep mode, and that's when your resting heart rate drops. Under these conditions, pacemaker activity from areas other than the normal pacemaker in the heart can trigger the onset of AFib.

Which side you should not sleep?

A north-to-south body position is considered the worst direction. This is because the human head is considered to have a polar-like attraction, and it needs to face southward to attract opposite poles while you sleep.

What are the signs of heart problems in a woman?

Women are more likely than men to have heart attack symptoms unrelated to chest pain, such as:

  • Neck, jaw, shoulder, upper back or upper belly (abdomen) discomfort.
  • Shortness of breath.
  • Pain in one or both arms.
  • Nausea or vomiting.
  • Sweating.
  • Lightheadedness or dizziness.
  • Unusual fatigue.
  • Heartburn (indigestion)