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OogieBoogie I asked my Dr about it - he said not to worry, my hearts doing well....It is still unnerving though, and it does settle down after a few minutes. This from UCLA website:
Dear Doctors: I'm a side sleeper and normally it's on my right side. I got hurt in a soccer game, and for a couple of nights I had to switch to sleeping on my left side. Right away my heartbeat felt louder and stronger. My wife says it happens to her too and not to worry. What is going on?
Dear Reader: The phenomenon you describe is due to physiology, not pathology. That's a fancy way of saying the changes you noticed are due to how the body is structured, and not because something is wrong. To understand what is happening, why in most cases it is harmless, and what types of symptoms may require a closer look, let's begin with a bit of anatomy.
The heart sits in the center of the chest, behind the sternum. The lower tip, known as the apex, is made up largely of the left ventricle, which does most of the pumping. This part of the heart angles downward in the chest and sits slightly to the left of center. The position of the apex puts the left ventricle, which pumps oxygenated blood to the tissues of the body, close to the chest wall. When you lie on your back or your right side, the apex is not affected. But when you lie on your left side, a few things happen that can contribute to what you described.
One result of the switch in sleeping positions is the effect of gravity, which can cause the apex to move closer to the chest wall. The rib cage, which protects the heart and core organs, is somewhat flexible. The weight of the body against the mattress (gravity again) can cause a bit of compression. These contribute to the apex, and thus the strong pumping action of the left ventricle, sitting close enough to the chest wall that many people feel a perceptible thump. The stillness of the body as we drift into sleep, plus the accompanying quiet, can also amplify the physical sensations of this stronger heartbeat.
In healthy adults, sleeping position hasn’t been found to have an adverse effect on the heart or on the efficiency of its pumping action. However, there is some evidence that sleeping position can affect people living with heart arrhythmias, such as atrial fibrillation, or A-fib. This is when the heart can slip into an irregular and often rapid heart rhythm. This does not mean that sleep position causes the condition.
That said, it is important to know that certain symptoms can indicate a problem. These include persistent chest pain or pressure, particularly when it spreads to the arm, back or jaw, unusual shortness of breath, difficulty breathing, dizziness or fainting, and persistent heart arrhythmias. If these occur, it is very important to seek medical guidance right away. But without these warning signs, a louder or stronger heartbeat when sleeping on the left side is usually just a reminder of anatomy and the effects of gravity.
