# SDNN

SDNN (Standard Deviation of NN intervals) is a time-domain measure of heart rate variability (HRV). It captures the overall spread of your normal heartbeat intervals. Per HRV Task Force standards, SDNN is mainly reported over 24-hour recordings. Over a full day, it reflects both your sympathetic and parasympathetic nerve input, plus circadian rhythms and slower low-frequency swings. A short 5-minute SDNN is heavily shaped by your breathing and vagal activity. (For pure vagal tone, RMSSD and HF power are more specific.) A low 24-hour SDNN is tied to higher cardiovascular and all-cause death risk, especially after a heart attack.

## Sources

- Malik M, Bigger JT, Camm AJ, et al. (1996). Heart rate variability: Standards of measurement, physiological interpretation, and clinical use. Task Force of the European Society of Cardiology and the North American Society of Pacing and Electrophysiology. European Heart Journal. https://doi.org/10.1093/oxfordjournals.eurheartj.a014868
- Tsuji H, Venditti FJ Jr, Manders ES, et al. (1994). Reduced heart rate variability and mortality risk in an elderly cohort. The Framingham Heart Study. Circulation. https://doi.org/10.1161/01.CIR.90.2.878

## Used in

### Articles (1)

- [Apple Health Age: is it worth switching your wearable?](https://longevity-germany.com/en/articles/apple-s-longevity-tab-and-health-age-fact-checked) · 2026-09-30

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_Canonical: https://longevity-germany.com/en/glossary/sdnn · Part of Longevity Cities · Updated 2026-06-22_