Reference charts
Normal Sleeping Heart Rate by Age
Heart rate falls during sleep, usually below your daytime resting pulse. The largest published age tables come from smart-ring companies rather than clinical studies. The table shows Oura's figures for 6 million members aged 18 to 70 in 2026: the average heart rate across the night and the lowest it reached.
Updated . Educational reference, not medical advice.
Reference Data
| Age | Women: night average | Women: lowest | Men: night average | Men: lowest |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 18–24 | 65.6 | 57.9 | 58.6 | 51.8 |
| 25–29 | 66.9 | 59.1 | 60.2 | 53.1 |
| 30–34 | 67.1 | 59.5 | 61.2 | 54.2 |
| 35–39 | 67.5 | 60.1 | 62.3 | 55.4 |
| 40–44 | 67.8 | 60.6 | 63.1 | 56.2 |
| 45–49 | 68.1 | 61.0 | 63.8 | 56.9 |
| 50–54 | 67.6 | 60.6 | 64.1 | 57.4 |
| 55–59 | 66.9 | 60.0 | 64.0 | 57.4 |
| 60–64 | 66.1 | 59.4 | 63.3 | 57.0 |
| 65–70 | 65.5 | 59.0 | 62.2 | 56.1 |
Source: Oura member data, 2026 (company-reported); Ultrahuman ring data 2024–2026 (company-reported).
How to read this chart
Values are means in beats per minute, as Oura published them (Jan 1 to Aug 24, 2026, de-identified). Oura reports that the median lowest sleeping heart rate was 59 BPM for women and 55 for men, and that the middle half fell between 54 and 65 (women) and 50 and 61 (men). The overnight average stays within about 3 BPM across age groups.
Ultrahuman separately reported 78.3 million nights from 532,195 ring users (June 2024 to May 2026): a typical sleeping heart rate of 64 to 67 BPM in every age decade from 18 to 70+, with most people between about 59 and 73.
These are company-reported, not peer-reviewed, and come from ring owners, who are not a random sample of the population. They are the best large age tables published so far; treat them as a guide, and compare yourself with your own usual nights.
Sleeping vs resting heart rate
A clinical resting heart rate is measured awake and seated; the adult reference range is 60 to 100 BPM (see the resting heart rate chart for NHANES percentiles). Overnight values run lower, which is why a wearable's "resting heart rate" taken during sleep often reads below a clinic measurement. Oura's own figures show this: median awake resting heart rate was 73.4 BPM (women) and 70.6 (men), against the lower overnight numbers in the table.
What raises it at night
In 4,098 Finnish employees wearing heart rate monitors, alcohol was linked in a dose-dependent way to less parasympathetic and more sympathetic activity during the first hours of sleep (Pietilä et al., 2018). Illness, late hard exercise and heat also tend to push it up for a night or two. For changes over weeks, see how to lower resting heart rate, and for all heart rate charts by age, the normal heart rate hub.
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
What is a normal heart rate while sleeping?
In Oura's data on 6 million adults, the average overnight heart rate was about 66 to 68 BPM for women and 59 to 64 BPM for men, depending on age. Ultrahuman reported 64 to 67 BPM across age decades. Both are company figures, not clinical norms.
Is a sleeping heart rate of 50 normal?
As an overnight low it is common, especially in men: Oura's middle half of men had a lowest sleeping heart rate between 50 and 61 BPM. A clinician should hear about a slow heart rate that comes with fainting, dizziness or breathlessness.
Why is my sleeping heart rate lower than my resting heart rate?
A clinical resting heart rate is taken awake and seated. During sleep heart rate drops further, so overnight values are typically several beats lower.
References
- Oura. What is the average resting heart rate? (data from 6 million members, 2026; updated Sep 30, 2026). ouraring.com/blog/average-resting-heart-rate/
- Ultrahuman. What's a normal sleeping heart rate by age: 532,000 ring users (Oct 15, 2026). www.ultrahuman.com/blog/sleeping-heart-rate-by-age-532000-ring-users-nightly-data-compared/
- Pietilä J, et al. Acute effect of alcohol intake on cardiovascular autonomic regulation during the first hours of sleep. JMIR Ment Health 2018;5:e23. doi.org/10.2196/mental.9519