A device comprising: one or more electrodes (124, 126) configured for implantation in a patient; a stimulation module configured to generate stimulation for delivery to the one or more electrodes; and a processing module configured to: control a cardiac pacing rate of the stimulation delivered to the one or more electrodes to control a heart rate of the patient; determine that the patient is in a resting state; and modify the pacing rate for a plurality of N cardiac cycles in response to determining that the patient is in the resting state, and wherein modifying the pacing rate comprises: incrementally increasing the pacing rate over a plurality of successive cardiac cycles for a first portion of the N cardiac cycles; and incrementally decreasing the pacing rate over a plurality of successive cardiac cycles for a second portion of the N cardiac cycles; characterized in that the processing module is configured to determine, based on a target breathing rate of the patient, at least one of an amount by which to incrementally increase the pacing rate for each cardiac cycle of the first portion, an amount by which to incrementally decrease the pacing rate for each cardiac cycle of the second portion, and the number of cardiac cycles, N. one or more electrodes (124, 126) configured for implantation in a patient; a stimulation module configured to generate stimulation for delivery to the one or more electrodes; and a processing module configured to: control a cardiac pacing rate of the stimulation delivered to the one or more electrodes to control a heart rate of the patient; determine that the patient is in a resting state; and modify the pacing rate for a plurality of N cardiac cycles in response to determining that the patient is in the resting state, and wherein modifying the pacing rate comprises: incrementally increasing the pacing rate over a plurality of successive cardiac cycles for a first portion of the N cardiac cycles; and incrementally decreasing the pacing rate over a plurality of successive cardiac cycles for a second portion of the N cardiac cycles; characterized in that the processing module is configured to determine, based on a target breathing rate of the patient, at least one of an amount by which to incrementally increase the pacing rate for each cardiac cycle of the first portion, an amount by which to incrementally decrease the pacing rate for each cardiac cycle of the second portion, and the number of cardiac cycles, N. control a cardiac pacing rate of the stimulation delivered to the one or more electrodes to control a heart rate of the patient; determine that the patient is in a resting state; and modify the pacing rate for a plurality of N cardiac cycles in response to determining that the patient is in the resting state, and wherein modifying the pacing rate comprises: incrementally increasing the pacing rate over a plurality of successive cardiac cycles for a first portion of the N cardiac cycles; and incrementally decreasing the pacing rate over a plurality of successive cardiac cycles for a second portion of the N cardiac cycles; characterized in that the processing module is configured to determine, based on a target breathing rate of the patient, at least one of an amount by which to incrementally increase the pacing rate for each cardiac cycle of the first portion, an amount by which to incrementally decrease the pacing rate for each cardiac cycle of the second portion, and the number of cardiac cycles, N. incrementally increasing the pacing rate over a plurality of successive cardiac cycles for a first portion of the N cardiac cycles; and incrementally decreasing the pacing rate over a plurality of successive cardiac cycles for a second portion of the N cardiac cycles; characterized in that the processing module is configured to determine, based on a target breathing rate of the patient, at least one of an amount by which to incrementally increase the pacing rate for each cardiac cycle of the first portion, an amount by which to incrementally decrease the pacing rate for each cardiac cycle of the second portion, and the number of cardiac cycles, N.