Random Heart Rate Dips on Apple Watch

This makes me feel so much better. I honestly wouldn’t notice any dips or spikes if I didn’t look at the history and data. I truly am data driven person so this drives me crazy. I have dips from 41 to 175 yesterday. I thought maybe I had an afib episode and didn’t recognize it! But I never got any alerts and I had a great day. I wouldn’t have even known if not for the history. I do wear my watch extremely tight …. I feel so much better reading some of these comments.

Hi there!

I have also had this issue. I never really paid attention to my Apple Watch heart rate until I had COVID.

I started to pay attention and noticed these random spikes. I went back into my history, and it looks like this has been happening randomly ever since I had my Apple Watch.

I did speak to my cardiologist about this and even wore a holter monitor because of it and it all came back normal.

My cardiologist told me it must be artifact meaning that it has something to do with the Apple Watch reading.

When I see these pop up on my watch, it scares me for a second, but there were no symptoms involved and my HR went back to normal.

Just today a few minutes ago, it showed my HR go 87-90-42-97 and I was in the car driving to target. So I’m not sure if this is something in the way I am wearing my watch, or if I am moving a certain way that causes it.

Thank you for this. My heart rate dips several times a day to mid 40s and I’m not aware but it’s on my heart rate history. Anxiety is maxed out as it seems to happen when I’m active. 😔

I’m Having a similar problem. I’m going to assume it’s my watch for my peace of mind. Just randomly read 38 and then 138 about 20 minutes late. Sometimes I will look at my watch at it’ll say 45 but randomly shoot back up to 75.

Currently awaiting a cardiologist appointment on 5/17 for the same concern!! I am 7 weeks postpartum and I did not work out AT all during my pregnancy so I know I can’t be having these random dips due to fitness level. The readings are never consistent enough to alarm me with the 10 minute setting. They’re random throughout the day. My heartbeat remains low consistently at night. Ranging from 50-60 BPMs. But what’s concerning is the random dips and sometimes spikes. Neither with symptoms.

Wearing your Apple Watch with the right fit — not too tight, not too loose, and with room for your skin to breathe — keeps you comfortable and lets the sensors do their jobs. For best results, the back of your Apple Watch needs skin contact for features like Wrist Detect, the Taptic Engine, and the electrical and optical heart sensors.  For more info, see:

Wearing your Apple Watch - Apple Support

Even under ideal conditions, Apple Watch may not be able to get a reliable heart rate reading every time for everybody. For more info, see:

Monitor your heart rate with Apple Watch - Apple Support

Hello. What was your outcome please? I’m the same, pp after a C-section. Seeing this random dips and blood pressure off also x

I've had this issue as well. Looking back in my Apple Watch heart rate monitor history, there have been multiple times when my heart rate monitor has spiked into the 150s, 160s, and 170s and it's not due to exercise. The worst was last week when the heart rate monitor spiked to 192 and back down less than a minute later while I was taking a shower. After that episode, I wore my wife's Apple Watch on my other wrist to compare. Both had unusual spikes to the 130s at the same time and immediately back down to normal while I was sitting down so it's not specifically my watch. I have also calibrated my Apple Watch heart rate monitor against UCSF hospital equipment and it is exactly the same readings - sometimes off by one beat but quickly realigns which is probably just a timing issue. I have an Apple Watch 6 and wear it using the same wrist strap hole every time. No tattoos. My normal resting heart rate is between 65-70 and most of the time the heart rate monitor is accurate. Seems like a bug in the software.

I have dips from 39 to 202. I don’t feel anything but feel terrible anxiety du e to it. Heart rate will drop to 39 and pick up and drop to 42 and pick up then go up to 140 and it back to 39. Awaiting a Monitor but no symptoms other than worry.

I find it surprising nobody else mentions these multiple measurements in one minute like 16 or more. See photo. In this case how can a 4 sec measurement have any meaning. I have them all the time.or more!