Some experts believe measuring resting heart rate before bed can help predict how well a person will sleep that night, according to Health.com.
Resting heart rate is the number of heartbeats per minute when a person is relaxed and not moving. It is considered a strong general indicator of baseline heart health and fitness. The American Heart Association says a normal resting heart rate for most healthy adults falls between 60 and 100 beats per minute, while highly trained athletes can see rates as low as 40 beats per minute.
Heart rate shifts depending on many factors. Stress, caffeine, medication, alcohol and illness can raise it, while relaxation techniques can lower it. A lower heart rate before bed usually signals a more relaxed state that favors sleep, though relaxation does not guarantee good sleep.
Resting heart rate and sleep quality
Measuring resting heart rate before bed can be a useful signal, but it is not necessarily the best or only indicator of sleep quality. Dr. Henry Yaggi said resting heart rate is better viewed as a measure of physiological readiness for sleep.
Many things that disrupt sleep, such as stress, alcohol or eating before bed, can raise heart rate. That means a faster heartbeat is not necessarily the cause of poor sleep but may simply reflect other factors.
Other useful pre-sleep indicators include heart rate variability, the small differences between individual heartbeats, and blood pressure. Louis F. Buenaver, director of a behavioral sleep medicine program, said subjective factors also matter, including how much exercise a person got during the day, their stress level and how relaxed they feel before bed. Buenaver added that how rested a person feels in the morning is also a good measure of sleep quality, regardless of their heart rate the night before.
Should you check your pulse before bed?
Checking pulse before bed can offer a sense of how relaxed a person is, but relying on it to predict sleep quality can backfire. Experts recommend prioritizing sleep hygiene instead, such as avoiding screens before bed, keeping a consistent sleep schedule, exercising regularly and limiting food and alcohol before sleep.
