Doctor Cautions: Hearing Your Heartbeat While Lying Down Could Signal a Concerning Health Issue

A doctor has issued an important warning about hearing your heartbeat when lying down, cautioning that it could be a concerning health issue. While this sensation may seem normal in some cases, it could also indicate underlying health conditions that warrant medical attention.

Typically, lying down to sleep is a time for relaxation—your breathing slows, muscles loosen, and heart rate decreases. Hearing your heartbeat in such moments can often indicate healthy bodily functions, especially after physical activity or during medical exams. However, healthcare professionals warn that if you consistently notice this sound, it might be more than just a benign occurrence.

What Hearing Your Heartbeat May Indicate

Dr. Anthony Youn, a Detroit-based physician renowned for his health advice on TikTok, addressed this issue in a recent video. He described how you might hear a rhythmic thudding when your head hits the pillow, comparing it to “a little person inside your pillow with the bass turned up too loud.”

Dr. Youn explained that hearing your heartbeat occasionally while lying down is generally normal. “If you’re lying on your side and hear your heart beating, it’s most likely your carotid artery basically sitting against your pillow,” he said. The carotid arteries are vital blood vessels located along the neck, near the ears, which can amplify the sound of blood flow.

However, the doctor cautioned that if this sound is constant, regardless of your position, it might signal a concerning health issue known as pulsatile tinnitus.