Waking up dizzy? After a good night's sleep, it's normal to expect a good day ahead. But what if you are caught off guard and end up waking up dizzy? All your activities planned for the day may not happen while you lay in bed pondering answers to the questions swirling in your head “Why did I wake up dizzy today?” or “Why am I dizzy when I wake up?” And if this has happened to you before enough that you're already familiar with the symptoms, “What the best approaches to avoid dizziness in the morning?”
For people suffering from vertigo, mornings can be the worst time of day. If you're someone who experiences regular vertigo attacks, you know how disorienting they can make you. Remember that vertigo is not an illness but a symptom of an underlying condition. Waking up feeling dizzy can be scary, but vertigo itself is not dangerous or life-threatening.
Instead, it can be your body's way of communicating that you must address something you’re unaware of. What makes vertigo dangerous is the risks associated with falls and loss of balance. That is because vertigo gives a false feeling that you or everything in your surroundings is whirling or spinning, which can make one feel sudden dizziness, loss of balance, nausea, or vomiting.
The best course of action when you are waking up dizzy is stay in bed for a few more minutes as you collect your thoughts and adjust your bearings.
There are a few different reasons why you waking up dizzy and off-balance. We understand that it can be worrisome or scary, so we recommend tracing the root cause, in order to be fully aware of why or how it's happening. Here are some of the commonly reported causes of dizziness in the morning:
Taking certain medications before sleeping can cause morning dizziness. So, we suggest looking into the drugs you take and speaking with your physician for alternatives or dosage adjustments.
Dehydration can cause morning dizziness, especially after a night of drinking too much alcohol. Notably, dehydration can also occur if you have a medical condition involving high blood sugar or if you sweat excessively.
Reduced blood flow to the brain may lead to dizziness or fainting in certain situations. This can be why you experience dizziness when lying down or when standing up. Sometimes a misalignment in your upper cervical spine may contribute to restricted blood flow, leading to vertigo episodes.
Sometimes, people wake up dizzy due to low blood sugar, a common occurrence if someone has diabetes and takes insulin or other prescriptions. However, if you slept the night before without having enough to eat or take medications in high dosages, you can become hypoglycemic in the morning, leaving you feeling dizzy.
These are common causes of vertigo. This is because your feeling of balance relies upon the consolidated contributions from the different areas of your sensory system, including your inner ear. If you have problems in this area, your brain gets different signs from your inner ear that are different from the signals from your eyes and other sensory nerves. This can create confusion in the brain and lead to dizziness.
Your vestibular system comprises the semi-circular canals, which sense movement of the head, and the otolith organs, which sense changes in head position. These function in the inner ear helps maintain a person's sense of balance and equilibrium. Signals from these organs are sent to the brain via the vestibular nerve.
Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) is one of the most common conditions that trigger symptoms of vertigo. If you are suffering from BPPV, you may feel a minor to intense dizziness that can occur by moving or changing the positions of your head. An undiagnosed BPPV may be why you experience dizziness when lying down or standing up.
People with sleep apnea experience obstructive breathing during sleep. Since there is an interruption in breathing while you sleep, you may be getting lower levels of oxygen that can cause you to wake up dizzy. In addition, if you snore in your sleep, you may experience similar effects.
Vertigo is one of the symptoms of migraine and is especially common to those who experience chronic headaches. The dizziness from a migraine can persist for hours and can be a lasting effect of the migraine. Poor blood circulation from upper cervical misalignment can also lead to migraine episodes.
Women can expect morning sickness during pregnancy due to the dramatic change in levels of hormones. Sometimes, you may experience dizziness before, during your period, or during menopause, which all bring changes in your hormone levels.
If you are nervous or anxious about a particular event happening soon, you may experience bouts of dizziness in the morning. If the dizziness is not affecting your function and productivity, it should not be a cause for concern; you can just let it pass. But if your anxiety persists and lingers and becomes overwhelming, you may need professional help.
This is a condition wherein your blood pressure drops when you stand up from a sitting or lying position, causing you to feel lightheaded, dizzy, or even faint.
One of the most common reasons for waking up dizzy is an unaddressed misalignment in your neck. We'll talk more about this later in this article.
If you wake up with vertigo attacks regularly, you can explore natural ways to manage your condition, such as:
To do this, you must maintain a regular sleep schedule and sleep in a dark and quiet room. Additionally, you must avoid caffeine and alcohol before bedtime to avoid disturbing your sleep cycle.
Engaging in active movements and even maintaining good posture while sleeping, standing, and sitting to ensure your neck doesn't get strained, which can affect your overall blood flow.
A chiropractic doctor who focuses on upper cervical care can maintain your spine's natural alignment and balance and gently realign any misalignment that can affect your blood circulation and disrupt the communication between your brain and body. This can help you potentially enjoy lasting vertigo relief.
If you've tried different ways yet vertigo persists, examining your spine's alignment may bring more benefits than you think. You can restore your brainstem's optimum health and function through upper cervical chiropractic adjustments.
Misalignment can lead the brainstem to send wrong signals to the brain, which often differ from the messages sent by the ears, eyes, and other body parts, confusing the brain, which can trigger vertigo.
Correcting the alignment removes the interference and prompts the body to heal naturally, reducing or eliminating vertigo episodes.
There are several research articles and resources related to upper cervical chiropractic, the neck, and waking up dizzy. Here are some relevant findings:
These resources provide insights into the relationship between upper cervical chiropractic, neck issues, and dizziness, highlighting the potential effects of upper cervical chiropractic care on addressing cervicogenic dizziness and related symptoms.
You can look for an upper cervical specialist near you to get your spine checked. Book your appointment soon to experience the benefits of upper cervical care firsthand.
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The content and materials provided in this web site are for informational and educational purposes only and are not intended to supplement or comprise a medical diagnosis or other professional opinion, or to be used in lieu of a consultation with a physician or competent health care professional for medical diagnosis and/or treatment. All content and materials including research papers, case studies and testimonials summarizing patients' responses to care are intended for educational purposes only and do not imply a guarantee of benefit. Individual results may vary, depending upon several factors including age of the patient, severity of the condition, severity of the spinal injury, and duration of time the condition has been present.
