Normal Heart Rate in Adults and Kids: When Is It Dangerous?
11/25/2025
The number of times your heart beats in a minute determines your heart rate. Your heart rate keeps fluctuating to some extent throughout the day. It varies according to the activities you do. Moreover, your mental state also affects your heart rate. The measurement of heart rate is done only when the body is calm and relaxed.
Adults generally have a resting heart rate of 60 to 100 beats per minute (bpm). Children may have higher resting heart rates than adults. However, it may change with advancing age.
Although individuals have varying heart rate values, some heart rate values may indicate underlying disorders. Continue reading this article to explore more information on normal and abnormal levels of heart rate.
Read Also: Tachycardia (Fast Heart Rate): Symptoms, Causes And Treatment
What is the Normal Heart Rate?
You must initially understand what your normal heart rate should be in order to comprehend an abnormal heart rate. Because these values may vary from person to person based on age, exercise level, and other factors, this is not always simple to comprehend. However, there are few parameters that can help in analyzing the "our normal" value.
Your resting heart rate is a value that indicates the minimum amount of blood that your body requires when you are relaxed and comfortable. Each person may have a different resting heart rate. Your resting heart rate can also be affected by factors including age, level of activity throughout the day, and intake of certain medicines.
Read Also: Heart Health Check: Symptoms of Trouble and Risk Factors Explained
What Is a Normal Heart Rate for Adults?
The American Heart Association (AHA) states that a resting heart rate of 60 to 100 bpm is considered normal. However, a resting heart rate of less than 60 bpm is still regarded as normal in certain individuals.
Athletes, for instance, may have a bit lower heart rates—sometimes as low as 40 bpm. A lower resting heart rate is also normal in individuals taking medicines such as beta-blockers for high blood pressure. As you scroll down, you will get to know about numerous other factors that may affect resting heart rate.
The average normal resting heart rate for adults by age is mentioned in the following table.
| Age in years | Average resting heart rate (bpm) |
| 18 to 20 | 81.6 |
| 21 to 30 | 80.2 |
| 31 to 40 | 78.5 |
| 41 to 50 | 75.3 |
| 51 to 60 | 73.9 |
| 61 to 70 | 73 |
| 71 to 80 | 74.2 |
| Over 80 | 78.1 |
What Is a Normal Heart Rate in Kids?
As children develop, their natural resting heart rate varies. The following table displays the resting heart rates of when they are awake and asleep.
| Age range | Waking resting heart rate (bpm) | Sleeping resting heart rate (bpm) |
| Newborn to 3 months | 85 to 205 | 80 to 160 |
| 3 months to 2 years | 100 to 190 | 75 to 160 |
| 2 years to 10 years | 60 to 140 | 60 to 90 |
| Above 10 years | 60 to 100 | 50 to 90 |
What are the Factors Affecting Heart Rate?
Following are the factors that affect your resting heart rate:
- Age: Heart rate is higher in kids and may decrease with advancing age.
- Temperature: Your heart rate can slightly rise when the weather is hot.
- Pain: This may cause an increase in heart rate as a stress reaction.
- Side effects of medications: Medications, such as beta-blockers, can result in lower resting heart rates.
- Emotions: In most cases, anxiety or overexcitement increases your heart rate.
- Body weight: Obese individuals may have a higher resting heart rate because the heart has to work harder in order to supply the blood to the bigger body.
- Anemia: Low red blood cell counts in anemia could cause the heart to pump more rapidly in order to give oxygen-rich blood to the body.
- Hormonal abnormalities: Abnormal hormone levels might have an effect on heart rate. For example, excessive thyroid hormone (hyperthyroidism) can raise heart rate, but inadequate thyroid hormone (hypothyroidism) can lower it.
- Postural tachycardia syndrome (PoTS): This condition causes the heart rate to abnormally rise after standing or sitting up. Palpitations, dizziness and fainting are common signs of PoTS.
- Body positioning: Heart rate might rise slightly as you switch from a sitting to a standing position.
- Smoking: The resting heart rate is often higher among smokers. It can be brought to normal by quitting smoking. A doctor might help you in creating a quitting strategy that works for you, even if that is very challenging for you.
What is the Dangerous Heart Rate?
Tachycardia is a condition characterized by a high heart rate. It has a heart rate of more than 100 bpm. Bradycardia is a condition characterized by an abnormally low heart rate. A heart rate of less than 60 bpm is commonly referred to as bradycardia. A heart rate of less than 60 beats per minute is considered acceptable and even healthy for athletes and people with high physical activity.
| Causes of Tachycardia | Causes of Bradycardia |
| An underlying health condition | Side effects from medications (like high blood pressure drugs) |
| Anxiety or stress | Electrolyte imbalance |
| Heavy caffeine consumption | Obstructive sleep apnea |
| Heavy alcohol consumption | Underlying health condition |
| Electrolyte imbalance | Advancing age |
| Anemia | Problems with the conduction system of the heart |
| Hormonal problems (i.e., thyroid) | - |
| Fever | - |
| Intense or strenuous exercise or physical activity | - |
| Side effects from medication (like medicines for cough) | - |
| cigarette smoking | - |
| Use of certain drugs (like cocaine) | - |
Conclusion
Taking proper care of your heart requires constant effort for a lifetime. This includes doing regular exercise, consuming heart-healthy meals, and abstaining from alcohol, as well as maintaining a healthy body weight.
You should also schedule regular checkups with your physician. In addition to being a healthy practice, it can aid in the early diagnosis of abnormal blood pressure or elevated cholesterol levels.
You should closely monitor your status and adhere to your treatment plan if you already have heart disease. As recommended by your doctor, take all medications on time without any breaks. Make sure that you promptly report any new or worsening symptoms to your doctor.
If you are concerned about your fluctuating heart rate, schedule a visit to our expert cardiologists at Eternal Hospital for the right advice. Book your consultation now!
FAQs
Q1: When does the heart rate get faster?
A: During stress, fever, anemia, dehydration, thyroid issues, caffeine, alcohol, or intake of certain medications causes heart rate to get faster.
Q2: When does the heart rate get slower?
A: Due to medication side effects, aging, sleep apnea, or problems with the heart’s electrical system, heart rate gets slower
Q3: Can I check my heart rate at home?
A: Use a smartwatch, pulse oximeter, or manually count your pulse for 60 seconds.