Not sure how old you are, but it can kind of go with the territory as we get past our 50's. I've had a lot more trouble getting and staying asleep, even those times I didn't feel anxious about anything. It can be so frustrating, especially when you're tired and are positive it won't take long to drift off.

I'm a 68 year old male and have the same problem with getting to sleep and or staying asleep but it's not consistent. I use ambien but that only works some of the time. Now don't laugh to hard at this but the no sleep nights seem to happen around the full moon 90% of the time. Have any of you noticed that happening when the moon is full. How about any other changes in how you act or feel? NSR to all Rick

I have terrible insomnia also. I can't get to sleep and I awaken many times at night. Not sure the cause... I can relate though!!

My afib progressed to where I was sleeping on average about 2-5 hours a night for the past 6-8 years or so. Prior to that my episodes were much shorter and infrequent so it didn't impact my sleep much at all. Gradually as the afib worsened so did my sleep loss. I almost always went into afib when laying down so many a night was spent pacing around or sitting on the edge of the bed. like yourself, I also would have nights of zero sleep and many two in a row. I was able to keep working regardless but it was getting more difficult with time. I work in a creative occupation where mental sharpness is huge in my productivity. Sleep deprivation occasionally is not harmful but when it becomes routine other health issue will likely arise. As a younger adult loss of sleep was not a problem for me personally but as I reached my late forties that changed. It's difficult to explain to others that don't suffer from afib what it's like to awake at 2 am with an irregular heart rate of 160-180 bpm. For me it felt like I had just finished a long run, I was wide awake and quickly became anxious. Hardly ideal for rest. There's a vicious cycle that occurs with afib and sleep loss, each causing the other. I struggled with it for many years.

Have you considered a sleep study to determine if you may have a sleep disorder? Sleep apnea for instance is reported to have significant impact on heart rhythm. Oxygen deprivation while sleeping can send the heart into arrhythmia.

Years of bad sleep habits can also be difficult to overcome for some people. Establishing better good sleep habits can take some effort. Relaxation prior to bedtime and avoiding caffeine are a good idea and also staying away from the bright computer or TV screen before bedtime will be helpful as well. It takes a while to get back into your circadian rhythm if it has been disrupted for some reason, whether self-inflicted or by health conditions.

Anxiety is a big hurdle with afib, but try hard to remember that afib lives in your chest and has no place in your head. I know that's much easier said than done but you have to work on fighting this with determination and resolve. The anxiety will only fuel the fire so do everything you can to calm yourself even when you're not in afib. If you're anything like me, relaxation takes practice.

I've been blessed with 5 months of normal heart rhythm since healing from my ablation and sleep has been wonderful. I'm far more clear headed which helps greatly with many aspects of my life.

Best wishes for finding your sleep rhythm.

Good advice, Steve.

I just saw an ad for an alarm clock that uses light to wake you up. THey said it's better for your circadian rhythm, helps you to regulate your sleep.

Just a thought.

Hello Chitta.
I did not have a problem sleeping before my afib diagnoses, but now since taking metoprolol and warfarin I have a hard time falling and staying asleep. I also noticed I am dreaming more. I did a little bit of research and found that out of 34637 people taking metoprolol, 716 had insomnia. And out of 67996 people taking coumadin, 1241 had insomnia. I have attributed it to the meds, but who knows.

Mary, my EP mentioned to me that sleep loss and strange nightmares are fairly common with beta blockers. I took mine in the morning to have less of it in my bloodstream while sleeping. It seemed to help some but not much. Worth a try unless you're required to take them twice daily.

"Mary, my EP mentioned to me that sleep loss and strange nightmares are fairly common with beta blockers."

I take my betablocker at night as it is supposed to make you feel tired/relaxed. I don't mind the strange nightmares as they make my waking life seem less strange by comparison. :-)

petey

For me 78+ I think it comes with the territory. I usually go to sleep at the same time each evening and don't have problems falling asleep. I do wake up during the night. AF or NSR I am able to push back to sleep and sometimes can continue my dream. I've always been a "dreamer. " I do have a hard time falling back to sleep around 5:00AM. I'm already on Daylight Saving Time.
Rick - I'll check out my full moon happenings, if any on January 26th.
I'm not on any meds besides Warfarin.

Interesting. Didn't know about the link to sleeplessness. I was on metoprolol before. I always have trouble sleeping, so...

I too wake up alot at night and have alot of dreams. I take a beta blocker (Atenolol). Like Petey mentioned, I have also heard that beta blockers can be associated with an increase in vivid dreams

Steve, I take a 50mg metoprolol twice daily. I find it interesting that the morning one makes me tired, but I'm unable to sleep well at night.
And Petey, thankfully I'm not able to remember most of the dreams, but you make a good point. lol

I too am on metoprolol and warfarin and my EP said the metoprolol will cause sleeplessness and nightmares. I don't have nightmares but definitely insomnia.

just looking metoprolol up in MIMs and you are quite right....adverse reactions lists nightmares - wow. not a common adverse reaction