Essentially, the lower the resting heart rate is the more efficient your heart functions. Heart International. National Center Know your numbers: Heart rate - Mayo Clinic Health System Shelby Deering is a Madison, Wisconsin-based freelance lifestyle writer contributing home design and health articles to national publications. In case you didnt know, a normal sleeping heart rate is between 40 and 50 beats per minute (BPM), although this can vary from person to person. In most adults, resting heart rates range between 60 and 100 beats per minute. Between 40 to 50 beats per minute (bpm) is considered an average sleeping heart rate for adults, though this can vary depending on multiple factors. Checking your RHR is a noninvasive way to assess your health. Bradycardia, which is more common in older adults, describes a resting heart rate that is below 60 beats per minute (bpm). Her professional interests include preventive cardiology, medical journalism, and health policy. To measure your heart rate, place a finger over your radial artery or carotid artery. Woo hoo! A good resting heart rate for you would be 60-80 beats per minute. Inaccurate or unverifiable information will be removed prior to publication. By contrast, REM sleep is often marked by periods of higher activity. Read more: 5 Simple Steps to Get the Best Night of Sleep Ever. Common devices frequently used by my patients include theApple WatchandKardiaMobile, she says. Thanks & Welcome to the Forbes Health Community! Resting Heart Rate by Age: Low, Normal, & Dangerous - Verywell Health Dr. Hashmi completed his postgraduate research at Yale University, internal medicine training at the Yale Saint Marys Hospital in Connecticut, and Geriatric Medicine fellowship at Massachusetts General Hospital in 3 Target Heart Rate and Estimated Maximum Heart Rate, Centers for Disease Control websitehttps://www.cdc.gov/physicalactivity/basics/measuring/heartrate.htm. A normal resting heart rate is between 60 to 100 beats per minute. During sleep, expect your heart rate to drop to the low end of your normal: If your normal daytime resting heart rate ranges from 70 to 85, for example, expect to see a sleeping heart rate of 70 . After activity, the heart rate might still be high. Multiple factors such as hormones, exercise and lifestyle choices can affect your heart rate. (In his prime, champion cyclist Miguel Indurain had a resting heart rate of just . An increase in heart rate is not always a cause for emergency. Symptoms may include: Although the range of normal for a resting and sleeping heart rate is wide, the Mayo Clinic says to let your doctor know if your resting heart rate is consistently above 100, especially if you have any symptoms of tachycardia. Avram, R., Tison, G. H., Aschbacher, K., Kuhar, P., Vittinghoff, E., Butzner, M., Runge, R., Wu, N., Pletcher, M. J., Marcus, G. M., & Olgin, J. Additional possible causes of a high heart rate include: When your resting heart rate is in the normal heart rate range for your age, your heart muscle doesnt have to work as hard to pump enough blood to keep a steady beat.