c/anxiety·Posted by u/elena_v·1h ago

Why does my heart race the second I lie down to sleep at night?

I can be exhausted on the couch and feel almost normal. Then I go into the bedroom, switch off the lamp, and the second my head hits the pillow my heart starts pounding like I sprinted. It's worse around 11:30pm when the house is quiet and I can actually hear it. I start counting beats and then I'm wide awake, annoyed at myself for doing this again. Nothing happened during the day that would explain it. I even tried going to bed earlier and later. Same thing. I'll lie there with one hand on my chest waiting for it to settle, which of course makes it louder. Does anyone else's heart do this only at lights-out, not during the day? I don't need a lecture about caffeine. I already cut it after 2pm and it didn't change this specific part.

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