When your heartbeat keeps you awake: Causes and concerns
Have you ever experienced lying down after a long day and being kept awake by the unsettling sound of a loudly beating heart? Where does this sound come from, and should you be concerned?
Sometimes this sensation is merely annoying, but at other times, it can make falling asleep difficult or even impossible. It often manifests as a pulsing, thumping, or humming sound reminiscent of a rhythmic heartbeat. You're most likely to hear it late at night when everything around is blissfully quiet. However, this symptom should not be ignored, as it may indicate underlying health issues.
Heartbeat "in the ears" while lying down
Have you ever wondered why you hear your heartbeat when you're lying on your side? If this happens occasionally, it's completely normal and not a cause for concern. A pulsing noise in the ears is typically described as hearing the heart's rhythm, which makes sense. It results from faster-than-usual blood flow through the veins and arteries near the ears.
Dr. Anthony Youn, a surgeon, compared this noise in the ears to an annoying bass that's "just too loud" and interferes with normal functioning. Fortunately, the cause is simple.
- If, every once in a while, you’re lying on your side and you hear your heart beating, it’s most likely your carotid artery basically sitting against your pillow - he emphasized.
The carotid artery plays an extremely important role in the body. It supplies blood and oxygen to the brain and all parts of the face, head, and neck. When sleeping on your side, the carotid artery is close to the pillow, so the thumping sound is just the natural rhythm of blood flowing through the blood vessels.
When should the heartbeat audible in the ears be a concern?
Dr. Youn explains that it's concerning if you hear the heartbeat repeatedly while lying down, and it also occurs during normal daily activities. In such cases, a chronic pulsing sound may indicate tinnitus, caused by various conditions.
Possible causes include severe stress, atherosclerosis (where the characteristic thumping in the ears occurs when arterial light is narrowed due to plaque buildup), high blood pressure, anemia, or hyperthyroidism (where the pulsating noise in the ears is caused by a rapid heartbeat and accelerated blood flow).
Harvard Health states that "it’s usually benign, there are some potentially concerning causes, so it’s best to see your doctor."
