Your Resting Heart Rate Just Increased 10 BPM - Should You Be Worried?

Your fitness tracker shows that your resting heart rate jumped from 58 bpm to 68 bpm overnight. You did not change anything—same sleep, same routine. Should you be concerned? Is this a sign of illness, overtraining, or something more serious?

Resting heart rate fluctuates for many reasons, some benign and others worth investigating. Here is how to tell the difference.

What Is a Normal Resting Heart Rate?

The medical definition of normal resting heart rate is 60-100 beats per minute (bpm) for adults. But that range is enormous and does not account for individual variation.

Typical ranges by fitness level:

• Elite athletes: 40-50 bpm
• Well-trained exercisers: 50-60 bpm
• Average fitness: 60-70 bpm
• Below average fitness: 70-85 bpm
• Sedentary or deconditioned: 85-100 bpm

Lower is generally better because it indicates a more efficient heart. An athlete with a resting heart rate of 45 bpm has a heart that pumps more blood per beat, so it does not need to beat as frequently.

However, the absolute number matters less than your personal baseline and how it changes over time.

Why Your Resting Heart Rate Increased

1. You Are Getting Sick

This is the most common cause of sudden resting heart rate increases. Your body ramps up heart rate to support the immune response, even before you feel symptoms.

An increase of 5-15 bpm above your baseline can appear 24-48 hours before cold or flu symptoms emerge. Many people use resting heart rate as an early warning system for illness.

2. Overtraining or Inadequate Recovery

If you have been pushing hard in your workouts without adequate rest, your body stays in a stressed state. An elevated resting heart rate (5-10 bpm above baseline) that persists for several days suggests you need more recovery time.

Other signs of overtraining include poor sleep quality, decreased performance, elevated morning fatigue, and mood changes.

3. Dehydration

Even mild dehydration (1-2% body weight loss) increases resting heart rate because your blood becomes more viscous and your heart has to work harder to pump it.

This often happens after alcohol consumption, travel, or forgetting to drink enough water during hot weather.

4. Poor Sleep

A night of insufficient or low-quality sleep can raise your resting heart rate by 5-10 bpm the next day. Your body is stressed from inadequate recovery, and sympathetic nervous system activity remains elevated.

5. Stress and Anxiety

Psychological stress activates your sympathetic nervous system, releasing cortisol and adrenaline. These hormones increase heart rate even at rest.

Chronic stress can keep resting heart rate elevated by 10-20 bpm above your relaxed baseline.

6. Caffeine and Stimulants

Caffeine increases resting heart rate temporarily—usually by 3-10 bpm depending on dose and individual sensitivity. The effect peaks 30-60 minutes after consumption and can last several hours.

7. Temperature Changes

Heat increases resting heart rate because your body diverts blood to the skin for cooling. Cold can also raise heart rate, especially if you are shivering.

Hot summer months can raise baseline resting heart rate by 5-8 bpm compared to cooler seasons.

8. Hormonal Changes (For Women)

Resting heart rate fluctuates throughout the menstrual cycle. It is typically lowest during menstruation and peaks during the luteal phase (after ovulation), increasing by 5-10 bpm.

Pregnancy also raises resting heart rate significantly—by 10-20 bpm during the second and third trimesters.

When Should You Actually Worry?

Most resting heart rate increases are temporary and harmless. But certain patterns warrant medical attention:

• Sudden increase of 20+ bpm that persists for more than a few days without obvious cause
• Resting heart rate consistently above 100 bpm (this is called tachycardia)
• Irregular heartbeat or palpitations accompanying the elevated rate
• Chest pain, shortness of breath, dizziness, or fainting with elevated heart rate
• Gradually increasing baseline over weeks or months despite no changes in fitness level

These patterns could indicate anemia, thyroid problems, heart rhythm disorders, or other medical conditions requiring evaluation.

What If Your Resting Heart Rate Decreased?

A gradual decrease in resting heart rate over weeks or months is usually good news—it means your cardiovascular fitness is improving. Athletes who start training often see their resting heart rate drop by 10-20 bpm over several months.

However, a sudden unexplained drop can be concerning:

• Very low resting heart rate (below 40 bpm) in non-athletes can indicate heart conduction problems
• Sudden drop accompanied by fatigue, dizziness, or shortness of breath needs medical evaluation
• Medications like beta-blockers can lower resting heart rate as intended, but discuss any concerns with your doctor

How to Track and Use Resting Heart Rate Data

To get useful information from resting heart rate, you need consistent measurement:

Best Measurement Practices

• Measure at the same time daily, ideally right after waking while still in bed
• Measure before getting up, eating, drinking coffee, or checking your phone
• Use a reliable device: fitness tracker, chest strap heart rate monitor, or manual pulse check
• Track for at least 7-10 days to establish your personal baseline
• Look at trends, not single readings—one elevated reading means nothing

Using RHR to Optimize Training

Many athletes use resting heart rate to guide training decisions:

• If RHR is 5+ bpm above baseline: Take an easy day or rest day
• If RHR is at or below baseline: Proceed with planned training
• If RHR remains elevated for 3+ days: Consider taking a recovery week

This simple guideline helps prevent overtraining and reduces injury risk.

The Bottom Line

A 10 bpm increase in resting heart rate is usually not cause for alarm if it resolves within a few days. Common causes include pending illness, inadequate recovery from exercise, poor sleep, stress, dehydration, or hormonal fluctuations.

What matters more than the absolute number is understanding your personal baseline and watching for persistent changes. Track your resting heart rate consistently for at least a week to establish your normal range.

Seek medical attention if your resting heart rate remains above 100 bpm, increases suddenly by 20+ bpm without obvious cause, or is accompanied by symptoms like chest pain, irregular rhythm, dizziness, or shortness of breath.

For most people, resting heart rate is a valuable metric for monitoring fitness, recovery, and early illness detection—not a source of daily anxiety.