Sitting upright generally eases the pain of pericarditis. The pain is not due to sleep, but due to the position of the body. Inflammation of the pericardium causes chest pain, which usually worsens when lying down. Pericarditis refers to inflammation of the lining of the heart (also known as the pericardium). Chronically immobile people are especially at risk for developing pulmonary embolism. However, it seems to occur more frequently in the early morning hours. This condition can occur at any time of the day. Pulmonary embolism is a potentially lethal condition that requires immediate medical treatment. The blood clots that block the pulmonary artery are frequently break-away clots from the lower limbs (in persons suffering from deep vein thrombosis). Pulmonary embolism refers to blockage of the artery that supplies the lungs, mostly due to the presence of blood clots. The term “embolus” mostly refers to a blood clot. This is thought to occur due to changes in the autonomic nervous system, circadian rhythm and the sleep cycle. Although heart attacks can occur at any time, they are found to occur more frequently during the early morning hours (especially between 1 AM to 5 AM). Complete blockage of the coronary artery leads to death of the heart muscles, resulting in heart attack. Reduction of blood supply due to narrowing of the coronary artery results in injury to the heart muscle, causing angina. The coronary artery is the main blood vessel that supplies the heart muscles. Technically known as a myocardial infarction, a heart attack refers to a condition in which the heart muscles die due to a lack of blood supply. Chest pain may also worsen while sleeping (especially during early morning hours) in some types of angina, such as variant angina and unstable angina. The chest pain increases during stress and physical exertion. This leads to chest pain that is a characteristic symptom of angina pectoris.
Narrowing of the lumen of coronary arteries (mostly caused by plaque buildup) restricts blood supply to the heart muscles, which can result in injury to the heart muscle cells. Coronary arteries are the main blood vessels that supply the heart muscles. This condition is mainly caused by coronary artery disease. AnginaĪngina pectoris refers to pain arising from the heart muscles. Stomach acid production also increases during early morning hours (a circadian pattern), which further increases the chances of chest pain while sleeping. Acid reflux increases while lying down, and this causes the pain to worsen. This pain sensation is also commonly referred to as “heartburn”. Under normal conditions, this backward flow of stomach acid into the esophagus is prevented by the presence of gastroesophageal (or lower esophageal) sphincter.Įxposure of esophageal wall to the highly corrosive stomach acid leads to pain in the chest region. Gastroesophageal reflux disease is a very common condition that is characterized by a backward reflux of gastric acid and stomach contents into the esophagus. Gastroesophageal reflux diseaseĬommonly known as acid reflux, gastroesophageal reflux disease (abbreviated as GERD) is one of the most common causes of chest pain that occurs during sleep. The following are some of the common causes of chest pain that occurs during sleep. Therefore, diagnosis of the exact cause of chest pain depends on consideration of other accompanying signs and symptoms. Based only on the symptom of chest pain, it is often difficult to distinguish between these two conditions. Two common causes of chest pain during sleep are gastroesophageal reflux disease and a heart attack. Causes of Chest Pain during SleepĬhest pain during sleep can be caused by a variety of conditions. Sometimes it may occur for no clearly identifiable reason. The worsening or easing of the chest pain and other symptoms may be caused by fluctuations in the body’s internal clock (circadian rhythm), changes in body position, dietary habits and even certain lifestyle or environmental factors.
Therefore, other signs and symptoms that accompany chest pain should also be noted.Ĭhest pain, along with other accompanying signs and symptoms, may either worsen or ease off during sleep. For example, chest and shoulder pain can also be due to the presence of gallstones. Furthermore, not all cases of chest pain arise due to causes that reside within the chest cavity. In some cases, chest pain may simply be due to soreness of the muscles of the chest or due to anxiety. However, not all cases of chest pain are caused by problems with the heart and the lungs.
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