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Respiratory Rate While Sleeping
- Your sleep respiratory rate is your rate of breathing while sleeping, measured by the number of breaths taken per minute, and it’s a key vital sign of overall health.
- The normal respiratory rate while sleeping varies significantly by age. Adults typically breathe 12 to 20 times per minute, while children and infants breathe much more quickly.
- A low sleep respiratory rate can be a sign of underlying health conditions, including sleep apnea or issues like gastroesophageal reflux (heartburn).
- A high sleep respiratory rate may be caused by various factors, such as anxiety, a respiratory infection, or chronic lung conditions.
Like body temperature and heart rate, respiratory rate (number of breaths taken per minute) is a vital sign that can offer a window into a person’s overall health. This is true of both your waking and sleeping respiratory rates, as breathing significantly faster or slower than normal while you sleep can be due to a health condition.
Sleep also has effects on the respiratory rate of everyone, regardless of their health. When we sleep, we naturally begin to breathe differently than we do when we are awake . By learning more about how sleep interacts with the respiratory rate, it’s easier to recognize what is normal for your body and when there might be a problem.
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Normal Respiratory Rate During Sleep
Once we fall asleep, the pace at which we breathe is determined by our metabolic rate . Most people breathe more slowly when they are asleep, and breathing evens out and becomes less variable with each successive stage of sleep. However, research shows that we also breathe faster and more erratically during the rapid eye movement (REM) sleep stage.
Our normal respiratory rate during sleep changes as we grow older . Children breathe faster than adults, and their average respiratory rate at rest decreases with age .
In addition, infants can also experience something called periodic breathing . An infant’s respiratory rate can vary dramatically during a periodic breathing episode. It may be very low, high, or briefly stop altogether. These episodes are considered normal and not a cause for concern in most children.
| Age | Normal Respiratory Rate During Sleep |
|---|---|
| Newborns (up to 12 months) | 30 to 60 times per minute |
| Toddlers (1 to 2 years) | 24 to 40 times per minute |
| Young Children (3 to 5 years) | 22 to 34 times per minute |
| Children (6 to 12 years) | 18 to 30 times per minute |
| Teens (13 to 17 years) | 13 to 21 times per minute |
| Adults (over 18 years) | 12 to 20 times per minute |
| Older Adults (over 60 years) | 12 to 28 times per minute |
How Respiratory Rate Is Measured
The simplest way of measuring someone’s respiratory rate is by counting how many times they breathe in a minute , usually by watching for the rise and fall of their chest.
However, even experts can struggle to perform an accurate count . In medical settings, your respiratory rate might be monitored by a wearable device .
What Respiratory Rate Measures
Although respiratory rate may appear to only measure the number of breaths per minute, it also serves to measure the health of bodily processes that are involved in breathing . It can indicate:
- How hard you’re working to breathe
- Sickness, infection (like pneumonia), fever, or serious injury
- Problems in your lungs (like asthma) or that your heart isn’t circulating blood effectively
- The part of your brain controlling breathing is suppressed, perhaps by medication or a neurological event
Just four breaths over or under the average rate can predict poor medical outcomes in some people. Because of this sensitivity, respiratory rate is an important statistic for health professionals.
Causes of Low Respiratory Rate During Sleep
An abnormally low respiratory rate is called bradypnea . One of the most common causes of bradypnea is sleep apnea , a breathing disorder that causes people’s breathing to slow and stop for brief periods while they are asleep. There are two major forms of this disorder: obstructive sleep apnea and central sleep apnea.
People may also experience a low respiratory rate while asleep for reasons unrelated to a sleep disorder. Other conditions that can cause bradypnea include:
- Asthma or other lung disorders
- Heartburn
- Pneumonia
- Allergic reaction
- Heart conditions and cardiac arrest
- Drug use or overdose, particularly of a central nervous system depressant
Causes of High Respiratory Rate During Sleep
Rapid shallow breathing is called tachypnea , while deep rapid breathing is usually referred to as hyperventilation.
However, both terms are sometimes used interchangeably. Neither form of high respiratory rate is a common symptom of any sleep disorder, though tachypnea is sometimes seen in people with sleep apnea being treated with a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machine.
Other causes of an abnormally high respiratory rate include:
- Anxiety and panic attacks
- Asthma
- Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and other lung conditions
- Lung infections, such as pneumonia
- Blood clot in one of the lung’s arteries
- Heart failure
Signs of an Abnormal Sleep Respiratory Rate
An abnormal respiratory rate is considered a symptom itself and may not cause any further symptoms. However, you or your bed partner may notice you have labored breathing, visibly increased effort to breathe while sleeping, or bluish or grayish discoloration of the skin, gums, or lips (a sign of low oxygen).
Additionally, the low respiratory rate associated with sleep apnea symptoms can cause people to experience:
- Restless sleep or frequent, brief awakenings
- Excessive daytime sleepiness
- Loud, frequent snoring
- Morning headaches
- Decreased concentration
Most other causes of an abnormal respiratory rate tend to have their own symptoms, which may be acute or chronic.
When to Talk to Your Doctor
Both low and high respiratory rates are often caused by conditions like heartburn or anxiety. However, they might also indicate that something is seriously wrong. Very rapid and shallow breathing is considered a medical emergency when not caused solely by anxiety.
Experts recommend immediate medical attention if someone with a low respiratory rate:
- Goes limp
- Is drowsy or loses consciousness
- Has a seizure
- Turns blue
You should also contact emergency medical services if someone with a high respiratory rate develops:
- Bluish or grayish skin, gums, nails, lips, or eyes
- Pain or a pulling sensation in their chest
- Fever
- Labored or difficult breathing
- An increase in the severity of their symptoms
If you notice that you have an abnormal respiratory rate, consult your doctor. They’ll be able to determine whether your breathing rate is cause for concern and discover any disorder that may be causing your symptoms.
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Austin is a professional writer and researcher who has covered sleep science and sleep products for over a decade.
Dr. Abhinav Singh, board certified in Sleep Medicine and Internal Medicine, is the Medical Director of the Indiana Sleep Center, which is accredited by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine. He is also a Clinical Assistant Professor at Marian University College of Medicine in Indianapolis, where he developed and teaches a Sleep Medicine rotation. Dr. Singh’s research and clinical practice focuses on sleep disorders, including excessive daytime sleepiness, narcolepsy, sleep apnea, chronic snoring, insomnia, and sleep education.
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