Apple Watch detecting raised heart rate whilst sleeping
Discussion
About 6 weeks ago I woke up to some notifications on my Apple Watch that my heart rate had been above 150bpm for 50 minutes whilst I was asleep. For reference my resting heart rate is usually <70bpm. I wear my watch to bed maybe 3 or 4 times a week and this was the first instance where it had detected an abnormal heart rate.
I got it checked out at the GP and was referred for an ECG, which turned out fine. However I have since had an other episode, this time heart rate greater than 140bpm for 20 minutes. I'm not really sure what to do about it now, and I get the impression that my GP isn't either, as it is hard to diagnose something that only seems to happen once a month, whilst I am asleep.
A Google search show that I am not the only person to have experienced this with the Apple Watch, but response range from "Its a bug with the watch, nothing to worry about" to "You've probably got sleep apnoea".
I got it checked out at the GP and was referred for an ECG, which turned out fine. However I have since had an other episode, this time heart rate greater than 140bpm for 20 minutes. I'm not really sure what to do about it now, and I get the impression that my GP isn't either, as it is hard to diagnose something that only seems to happen once a month, whilst I am asleep.
A Google search show that I am not the only person to have experienced this with the Apple Watch, but response range from "Its a bug with the watch, nothing to worry about" to "You've probably got sleep apnoea".
TwistingMyMelon said:
As above, rule out the watch first, its not a calibrated medical device for starters
I would see if I could hire/borrow something decent for a few nights , or at least another recorder
There was mention of a 24 hour holter test, but I’m a bit concerned that it doesn’t happen every night. I would see if I could hire/borrow something decent for a few nights , or at least another recorder
JPJPJP said:
MIght just be an exciting dream
Unfortunately not exciting enough to remember in the morning!
Not quite the same, but it reminded me but I had a 24 hour BP monitor a few years ago, had a day off to avoid all the normal questions, did all the normal day off at home stuff and it went off every 30 mins or so.
Nice young lady doctor asked me what had caused the spike at about 2.45 pm, at the time couldnt remember.
Got out and remembered what was going on about then and it going off, went a bit flushed
My missus has a cheapo fitness watch thing and it flashes all the time at night, its like a light show.
Nice young lady doctor asked me what had caused the spike at about 2.45 pm, at the time couldnt remember.
Got out and remembered what was going on about then and it going off, went a bit flushed
My missus has a cheapo fitness watch thing and it flashes all the time at night, its like a light show.
If you had sleep aponea you wouldn’t experience it raised for such long periods of time. With that illness you heart rate rises when you stop breathing and blood oxygen levels fall as the brain attempts to wake you up. When this is happening you probably have no idea but you just wake up knackered in the morning
Getting a 48 hour Holt3er monitor thing fitted tomorrow. Have to shave my chest this evening.
I've just spent the last hour or so working in the garage and my heart rate hasn't dropped below 100. Yesterday morning I was out for a bike ride, albeit a gentle one, and my heart rate didn't get over 100. So I think there is something up.
I've just spent the last hour or so working in the garage and my heart rate hasn't dropped below 100. Yesterday morning I was out for a bike ride, albeit a gentle one, and my heart rate didn't get over 100. So I think there is something up.
Craikeybaby said:
Getting a 48 hour Holt3er monitor thing fitted tomorrow. Have to shave my chest this evening.
I've just spent the last hour or so working in the garage and my heart rate hasn't dropped below 100. Yesterday morning I was out for a bike ride, albeit a gentle one, and my heart rate didn't get over 100. So I think there is something up.
I would be curious to learn how accurate, or not, the Apple Watch is. If able, could you wear the Apple Watch while wearing the Holt3er and compare results - hourly comparison / daily comparison / experiment comparison, whatever data you're able to collect.I've just spent the last hour or so working in the garage and my heart rate hasn't dropped below 100. Yesterday morning I was out for a bike ride, albeit a gentle one, and my heart rate didn't get over 100. So I think there is something up.
I was given an Apple Watch by work and find it an enjoyable gimmick. Can't say it will replace a mechanical watch in my private life but while in the office I find its subtile notifications (appointments, messages and calls - not email) rather pleasant. I also enjoying tracking fitness.
Apple clearly see a future in tracking heart rates as they have a project (Apple Heart Study) with Stanford Medical College.
Hoddo said:
Craikeybaby said:
Getting a 48 hour Holt3er monitor thing fitted tomorrow. Have to shave my chest this evening.
I've just spent the last hour or so working in the garage and my heart rate hasn't dropped below 100. Yesterday morning I was out for a bike ride, albeit a gentle one, and my heart rate didn't get over 100. So I think there is something up.
I would be curious to learn how accurate, or not, the Apple Watch is. If able, could you wear the Apple Watch while wearing the Holt3er and compare results - hourly comparison / daily comparison / experiment comparison, whatever data you're able to collect.I've just spent the last hour or so working in the garage and my heart rate hasn't dropped below 100. Yesterday morning I was out for a bike ride, albeit a gentle one, and my heart rate didn't get over 100. So I think there is something up.
I was given an Apple Watch by work and find it an enjoyable gimmick. Can't say it will replace a mechanical watch in my private life but while in the office I find its subtile notifications (appointments, messages and calls - not email) rather pleasant. I also enjoying tracking fitness.
Apple clearly see a future in tracking heart rates as they have a project (Apple Heart Study) with Stanford Medical College.
I initially held off getting an Apple Watch because I didn't think I'd wear it in preference to my mechanical watches. I haven't actually worn them since getting the Apple Watch!
Hoddo said:
Apple clearly see a future in tracking heart rates as they have a project (Apple Heart Study) with Stanford Medical College.
There's a lot of interest in the use of activity trackers in clinical trials. For patients with COPD or asthma one of the first things that gets reported anecdotally is more energy and better stamina if the drug is working. The same is true for cancer patients as well. If a treatment is working (and not causing too many adverse events) then they tend to be more active.
I know that a number of companies in my industry (Pharma) are working with Apple to provide phones and activity trackers to patients, and produce apps that can collect data appropriately.
How long before we can have full stats packages fitted that are linked to a central monitoring service? Imagine if an ambulance could be dispatched to your location as soon as your vitals started to misbehave. Not sure if that's a good thing or not tbh....
The result of the holter test is that it found nothing. Which is good in some ways, but still doens't clear up what my Watch is recording.
I had another episode in the early hours of this morning, 30 minutes of heart rate above 130bpm.
All three instances have been at the end of the weekend, before going back to work.
I had another episode in the early hours of this morning, 30 minutes of heart rate above 130bpm.
All three instances have been at the end of the weekend, before going back to work.
Id say it was the watch
Id get another device to rule it out:
I use my iphone with strava to record my cycling, putting aside elevation recording 9/10 its accurate enough for me to record rides and speed and does a fine job for me. However every once in a while it will go nuts and clock my speed at 80mph or something.
Same can be said for any electrical device that records things, my cctv camera at home occasionally decides it wants to ignore the schedule I set it and makes its own up.
Id get another device to rule it out:
I use my iphone with strava to record my cycling, putting aside elevation recording 9/10 its accurate enough for me to record rides and speed and does a fine job for me. However every once in a while it will go nuts and clock my speed at 80mph or something.
Same can be said for any electrical device that records things, my cctv camera at home occasionally decides it wants to ignore the schedule I set it and makes its own up.
TwistingMyMelon said:
Id say it was the watch
Id get another device to rule it out:
I was going to say that. I wear a Fitbit (Charge 2) all the time and certainly don't get heart-rate surges being recorded. I'm 60 and not fit, and any activity during the day has it going bonkers, so it seems to work.Id get another device to rule it out:
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