Heart rate while sleeping

Most people will find that when we enter deep sleep, our alertness will actually decrease, and our heartbeat will become slower. If we are suddenly awakened by some sounds or things during sleep, our heartbeat will accelerate, especially during naps. So what is the heart rate when we sleep?

Why do children have faster heart rates than adults? Children's heart rate is closely related to their age. The younger they are, the faster their heart rate. The heart rate is fastest during infancy and can reach 140 to 160 beats per minute. Children's heart rate is easily affected by various factors. Their heart rate can be significantly increased when they are under mental stress, active, crying, eating, or have a fever. Children's heart rate is fast and is easily affected by various external factors. For example, for every 10°C increase in body temperature, the heart rate can increase by 10 to 15 beats per minute. Eating, crying, exercising, etc. will increase oxygen consumption and heart burden, leading to a compensatory increase in heart rate.

This is mainly because the nervous system of children is not yet fully developed and its functions are not yet sound. The main manifestation is that the sympathetic nerves that control the heart are significantly stronger than the vagus nerves, which keeps the heart in an excited state and the heart rate is very fast. In addition, the heart is sensitive to various factors that stimulate the excitement of the heart and the heart rate is easily increased. As children's nervous systems develop and mature, their functions also become more mature. When children are around 10 years old, their nervous systems are mature and the heart rate regulated by the nerves is close to that of adults.

Secondly, because children grow and develop quickly and have an active metabolism, their tissues and organs of the same weight require several times more nutrients and oxygen in the blood than adults. However, their heart chambers are small and their myocardial contractility is weak. Only by maintaining a higher heart rate can the body's requirements for rapid growth and development be met. Therefore, children's heart rate is much faster than that of adults.