Resting heart rate (RHR) refers to the number of times your heart beats per minute when you’re at rest. It can be a helpful indicator of your sleep quality, recovery, and overall health.
In general, a lower RHR is a sign of good physical fitness and overall health, while a higher RHR suggests potential illness, stress, or something else is challenging your body.
What’s the average resting heart rate? According to Mayo Clinic, most healthy adults can expect resting heart rates to range from 60 to 100 beats per minute (bpm).
But what about Oura Members? Here’s what aggregate and de-identified data shows across members of varying age and gender.*
Lowest Resting Heart Rate
In the charts below, we’re analyzing members’ lowest resting heart rate — a single number that takes into consideration members’ baselines. Learn more about how Oura measures RHR here.
As this chart shows, Oura members’ resting heart rates range between 50 to 60 bpm. Resting heart rate tends to slightly until about age 60, at which point it levels off and lowers slightly. On average, the lowest resting heart rate among members is 57 bpm.
As the below charts show, women tend to have a slightly higher RHR than men. This has to do with the size of the female heart, which is typically smaller than males. Because a smaller heart pumps less blood with each beat, the smaller female heart beats at a faster rate to match the larger male heart’s output.
RELATED: Oura Member Data Reveals Gender Differences in Sleep, Stress, and Activity Levels
Average Nighttime Resting Heart Rate
These charts look at members’ average RHR captured during the night. Among all Oura members, the average nighttime RHR is 65 bpm.
Average nighttime RHR patterns tend to follow similar patterns to lowest heart rate across age and gender distributions.
What Factors Affect My Resting Heart Rate?
Your RHR is affected by a number of factors, both in and out of your control. To lower your resting heart rate, the best thing to do is to get regular cardiovascular exercise, i.e., walking, jogging, cycling, or swimming. Other tips include:
- Go to bed at a consistent time.
- Avoid alcohol, caffeine, and smoking.
- Stay well hydrated.
- Practice stress management techniques such as breathwork or meditation. Find some follow-along exercises in the Explore content in your Oura App.
READ MORE: 8 Possible Reasons Why Your Resting Heart Rate is High
*Data based on values from Jan-Dec 2024, restricted to members age 18+.