Do you lie down in bed, close your eyes and after a few moments start to feel your heartbeat, as if to get out of your chest?

And maybe, in addition to tachycardia, arrhythmias are added so you think there is an interval in which the heart stops?

Here are the so-called night palpitations, which can affect even the healthiest subject, because often the causes are not strictly related to the heart system.

The investigation must certainly start from there to prevent diseases affecting our cardiovascular system, with cardiogram, echocardiogram, holter monitoring. But if the investigations give a negative result we can suppose other causes, of an alimentary, emotional and biochemical nature.

Symptoms of night palpitations

We go into more detail on the symptoms of night palpitations and the sensations they bring with them. Acceleration of the heart rhythm can be observed just after lying down, or during the first sleep, so much so as to awaken with agitation.

The heart changes its rhythm, with an increase in the beat that can last for several minutes. The sensation is that of distinctly feeling the beating heart, in a sort of thoracic resonance box that amplifies the volume: it is felt in the throat, in the ears .

The effect is disquieting, creating a state of agitation that further complicates the situation. This form of tachycardia is exhausted within a few interminable minutes, but can be repeated regularly every night, so as to generate a form of anticipatory anxiety in those who suffer from it.

Causes of night palpitations

Excluding pathologies affecting the cardiovascular system, there can be several causes that trigger night palpitations.

> Anxiety : circular thoughts, even dormant worries that are unleashed at night, can be a source of tachycardia, which also manifests itself during the day. Anxiety can be the cause of initial insomnia, with difficulty in falling asleep, but also of agitated awakenings in the middle of the night, with palpitations, sweating and confusional states.

> Improper diet: heavy dinners, very rich in sugars, carbohydrates that create stomach swelling, or slow down digestion cause palpitations. Once lying down it can happen that there is a mechanical problem, so the dilated stomach pushes upwards and touches the walls of the pericardium, giving rise to a tachycardia reaction, which is exhausted within a few minutes.

It is a good rule to generally eat pasta at lunch to ensure well-being and control the weight of our body.

> Adrenaline peak : it may happen that after having carried out intense sporting activities or having been in the disco with very high music, palpitations arise once they return home and go to sleep. In this case it is due to adrenaline discharges from the adrenal glands, subjected to hyperactivity.

It happens for example to those who practice spinning with particularly pressing music to feel a change in heart rate and often get scared, thinking they have stressed their heart and are at risk of heart attack.