> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.sonohealth.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Normal Heart Rate and Rhythm: A Plain-English Guide

> What a normal resting heart rate is, the difference between rate and rhythm, what affects your numbers, and when an unusual reading deserves a doctor's attention.

"Heart rate" and "heart rhythm" sound similar but mean different things — and both matter when you're tracking your heart at home. This guide explains what's normal, what's not, and what affects your numbers.

<Note>
  General ranges below apply to most adults. Athletes, certain medications, and health conditions can shift what's normal for you, so interpret your numbers with your doctor.
</Note>

## Rate vs. rhythm

**Heart rate** is how fast your heart beats, measured in beats per minute (bpm). **Heart rhythm** is the *pattern* of those beats — steady and regular, or irregular. A fitness tracker or pulse reading captures rate; an [EKG](/ekg/overview) captures rhythm, which is what reveals irregularities like [atrial fibrillation](/ekg/atrial-fibrillation).

## What's a normal resting heart rate?

For most adults, a normal resting heart rate is about **60–100 bpm**. Well-conditioned athletes often sit lower — sometimes 40–60 bpm — because their hearts are efficient. Your rate is naturally lower at rest and during sleep, and higher with activity, stress, caffeine, fever, or dehydration.

## When is heart rate too high or too low?

A persistently high resting rate (tachycardia, above 100 bpm) or low rate (bradycardia, below 60 bpm without being an athlete) can be normal in some situations but is worth discussing with your doctor — especially if it comes with dizziness, fatigue, breathlessness, or fainting.

## What a normal rhythm looks like

A normal rhythm is regular, with even spacing between beats. Occasional extra or skipped beats are common and usually harmless. A **sustained** irregular rhythm, frequent irregular beats, or an irregular-pulse flag on a [blood pressure monitor](/blood-pressure/overview) or EKG deserves evaluation.

## Tracking at home

Many [blood pressure monitors](/blood-pressure/normal-blood-pressure-by-age) display your pulse, and a personal EKG like the SonoHealth EKGraph records the rhythm pattern itself. Logging your numbers over time — and capturing any unusual episodes — gives your doctor the context to tell normal variation from something that needs attention.

***

**Related:** [Home EKG Monitoring](/ekg/overview) · [Atrial Fibrillation Explained](/ekg/atrial-fibrillation) · [Heart Palpitations](/ekg/heart-palpitations) · [Blood Pressure Monitoring](/blood-pressure/overview)