Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsEmergency CausesNon-Emergency CausesRisk Factors and TriggersTreatmentWhen to See a Provider
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Emergency Causes
Non-Emergency Causes
Risk Factors and Triggers
Treatment
When to See a Provider
Dizziness is a common and bothersome symptom of many different medical conditions. It is usually not a cause for serious concern. Dizziness when lying down may have triggers different from other types of dizziness.
Feeling dizzy can interfere with your quality of life, and you can even be at risk of falling and getting hurt if you feel lightheaded or off balance. If you are unsteady or have a sensation that the room is spinning when you lie down, some treatments can help.
Migraine, a flu, or an ear infection are common causes of dizziness. Less often, dizziness may be a sign of a serious health emergency, such as a stroke or a brain tumor. One common cause of extreme dizziness when lying down isbenign paroxysmal positional vertigo(BPPV), which isn’t dangerous and can be treated with simple exercises.
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What Does Dizziness Feel Like?Dizzinessis sometimes described as lightheadedness,vertigo(feeling like the room is spinning), the spins, faintness, unsteadiness, feeling off balance, or giddiness.
What Does Dizziness Feel Like?
Dizzinessis sometimes described as lightheadedness,vertigo(feeling like the room is spinning), the spins, faintness, unsteadiness, feeling off balance, or giddiness.
Emergency Causes of Dizziness When Lying Down
Dizziness can be a sign of a dangerous medical condition, especially when it comes with other symptoms. If you experience dizziness with other concerning sensations, it’s crucial to call for emergency medical attention immediately.
Serious causes of dizziness and associated symptoms include:
A heart attack or a stroke can be fatal, but immediate treatment could save your life. A tumor can also be life-threatening, so prompt diagnosis and treatment can improve your outcome.
There are many triggers of dizziness, and most of the causes require medical care. The non-emergency medical issues that contribute to dizziness wouldn’t result in sudden disability or death, but they can have an impact on your quality of life or might cause worsening health problems over time.
Common non-emergency causes of dizziness include:
In general, anyone can experience episodes of dizziness.If you have an underlying medical condition that affects your sense of balance, you are more likely to have dizziness, sometimes even without a trigger.
Feelings of dizziness can be associated with any of the following triggers:
However, if you have dizziness that’s worse when you’re lying down, that does not necessarily mean that you have a tumor. Any cause of dizziness can cause symptoms that are especially noticeable when you are resting or tired—which could make you feel particularly dizzy when lying down.
The only way you can know the underlying cause of your dizziness is to have a medical evaluation, which will include a physical examination and diagnostic testing.
Maneuvers for Treating BPPVThe Epley maneuveris an exercise designed to treat BPPV.A neurologistoran otolaryngologistcan do it in the office, and ahealthcare provider can teach you to do it on your own at home.Steps of the Epley maneuver:Lie on your backTurn your head to the right and stay in that position for 30 secondsTurn your head to the left and stay in that position for 30 secondsTurn your head and body to the left for 30 secondsSit upRepeat the whole exercise in the opposite directionYour doctor, specifically a neurologist or otolaryngologist, will instruct you on how often to do this exercise.
Maneuvers for Treating BPPV
The Epley maneuveris an exercise designed to treat BPPV.A neurologistoran otolaryngologistcan do it in the office, and ahealthcare provider can teach you to do it on your own at home.Steps of the Epley maneuver:Lie on your backTurn your head to the right and stay in that position for 30 secondsTurn your head to the left and stay in that position for 30 secondsTurn your head and body to the left for 30 secondsSit upRepeat the whole exercise in the opposite directionYour doctor, specifically a neurologist or otolaryngologist, will instruct you on how often to do this exercise.
The Epley maneuveris an exercise designed to treat BPPV.A neurologistoran otolaryngologistcan do it in the office, and ahealthcare provider can teach you to do it on your own at home.
Steps of the Epley maneuver:
Your doctor, specifically a neurologist or otolaryngologist, will instruct you on how often to do this exercise.
Treatment to Stop Dizziness
If you’ve been having dizziness when lying down or otherwise, it can affect your quality of life. Chronic or recurrent dizziness can make you miserable.
The treatment for dizziness depends on its cause. In the short term, the best thing to do is to get in the position that makes you most comfortable. It can also be helpful to make sure that you’re hydrated, avoid stress, and get enough rest.
You will also need treatment to ensure that you don’t continue to have recurrent dizziness.
Treatments may include:
You may have more than one cause of dizziness, which could further exacerbate your symptoms. Your diagnostic testing will help identify all the contributing causes of your dizziness so you can get treatment.
When to Consult a Provider
If you’ve had recurrent dizziness or lightheadedness, vertigo, or unsteadiness that is affecting your quality of life, you should see a healthcare provider.
If you or someone else experiences new dizziness that’s severe or associated with other concerning symptoms, call 911 for immediate help.
Many causes of dizziness can be remedied, and even the causes that are not curable are at least partially treatable. Your quality of life can improve once you start on the right therapy for your dizziness.
Summary
One of the common causes of dizziness while lying down is benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV), which causes extreme symptoms of vertigo, nausea, and vomiting. This condition is treatable with specially designed exercises that can help rebalance the fluid in your inner ear.
7 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Madrigal J, Zuma E Maia F, Cal R, Faria Ramos B, Castillo-Bustamante M.Addressing the overlapping challenges of benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) and persistent postural-perceptual dizziness (PPPD): impacts and integrated management.Cureus.2024;16(10):e72019. doi:10.7759/cureus.72019Puissant MM, Giampalmo S, Wira CR 3rd, Goldstein JN, Newman-Toker DE.Approach to acute dizziness/vertigo in the emergency department: selected controversies regarding specialty consultation.Stroke.2024;55(10):2584-2588. doi:10.1161/STROKEAHA.123.043406Pasdelou MP, Byelyayeva L, Malmström S, et al.Ototoxicity: a high risk to auditory function that needs to be monitored in drug development.Front Mol Neurosci.2024;17:1379743. doi:10.3389/fnmol.2024.1379743Kim MJ, Farrell J.Orthostatic hypotension: a practical approach.Am Fam Physician.2022;105(1):39-49.Orendorz-Frączkowska K, Temporale H.Organ of hearing and balance in peri- and postmenopausal women. effects of hormone replacement therapy on hearing and balance in peri- and post-menopausal women: the current state of knowledge.Adv Clin Exp Med.2020;29(6):751-755. doi:10.17219/acem/121935Sebastianelli G, Atalar AÇ, Cetta I, et al.Insights from triggers and prodromal symptoms on how migraine attacks start: the threshold hypothesis.Cephalalgia.2024;44(10):3331024241287224. doi:10.1177/03331024241287224Godek P, Ruciński W.Differentiating the structural and functional instability of the craniocervical junction.Healthcare(Basel). 2024;12(19):2003. doi:10.3390/healthcare12192003
7 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Madrigal J, Zuma E Maia F, Cal R, Faria Ramos B, Castillo-Bustamante M.Addressing the overlapping challenges of benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) and persistent postural-perceptual dizziness (PPPD): impacts and integrated management.Cureus.2024;16(10):e72019. doi:10.7759/cureus.72019Puissant MM, Giampalmo S, Wira CR 3rd, Goldstein JN, Newman-Toker DE.Approach to acute dizziness/vertigo in the emergency department: selected controversies regarding specialty consultation.Stroke.2024;55(10):2584-2588. doi:10.1161/STROKEAHA.123.043406Pasdelou MP, Byelyayeva L, Malmström S, et al.Ototoxicity: a high risk to auditory function that needs to be monitored in drug development.Front Mol Neurosci.2024;17:1379743. doi:10.3389/fnmol.2024.1379743Kim MJ, Farrell J.Orthostatic hypotension: a practical approach.Am Fam Physician.2022;105(1):39-49.Orendorz-Frączkowska K, Temporale H.Organ of hearing and balance in peri- and postmenopausal women. effects of hormone replacement therapy on hearing and balance in peri- and post-menopausal women: the current state of knowledge.Adv Clin Exp Med.2020;29(6):751-755. doi:10.17219/acem/121935Sebastianelli G, Atalar AÇ, Cetta I, et al.Insights from triggers and prodromal symptoms on how migraine attacks start: the threshold hypothesis.Cephalalgia.2024;44(10):3331024241287224. doi:10.1177/03331024241287224Godek P, Ruciński W.Differentiating the structural and functional instability of the craniocervical junction.Healthcare(Basel). 2024;12(19):2003. doi:10.3390/healthcare12192003
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Madrigal J, Zuma E Maia F, Cal R, Faria Ramos B, Castillo-Bustamante M.Addressing the overlapping challenges of benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) and persistent postural-perceptual dizziness (PPPD): impacts and integrated management.Cureus.2024;16(10):e72019. doi:10.7759/cureus.72019Puissant MM, Giampalmo S, Wira CR 3rd, Goldstein JN, Newman-Toker DE.Approach to acute dizziness/vertigo in the emergency department: selected controversies regarding specialty consultation.Stroke.2024;55(10):2584-2588. doi:10.1161/STROKEAHA.123.043406Pasdelou MP, Byelyayeva L, Malmström S, et al.Ototoxicity: a high risk to auditory function that needs to be monitored in drug development.Front Mol Neurosci.2024;17:1379743. doi:10.3389/fnmol.2024.1379743Kim MJ, Farrell J.Orthostatic hypotension: a practical approach.Am Fam Physician.2022;105(1):39-49.Orendorz-Frączkowska K, Temporale H.Organ of hearing and balance in peri- and postmenopausal women. effects of hormone replacement therapy on hearing and balance in peri- and post-menopausal women: the current state of knowledge.Adv Clin Exp Med.2020;29(6):751-755. doi:10.17219/acem/121935Sebastianelli G, Atalar AÇ, Cetta I, et al.Insights from triggers and prodromal symptoms on how migraine attacks start: the threshold hypothesis.Cephalalgia.2024;44(10):3331024241287224. doi:10.1177/03331024241287224Godek P, Ruciński W.Differentiating the structural and functional instability of the craniocervical junction.Healthcare(Basel). 2024;12(19):2003. doi:10.3390/healthcare12192003
Madrigal J, Zuma E Maia F, Cal R, Faria Ramos B, Castillo-Bustamante M.Addressing the overlapping challenges of benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) and persistent postural-perceptual dizziness (PPPD): impacts and integrated management.Cureus.2024;16(10):e72019. doi:10.7759/cureus.72019
Puissant MM, Giampalmo S, Wira CR 3rd, Goldstein JN, Newman-Toker DE.Approach to acute dizziness/vertigo in the emergency department: selected controversies regarding specialty consultation.Stroke.2024;55(10):2584-2588. doi:10.1161/STROKEAHA.123.043406
Pasdelou MP, Byelyayeva L, Malmström S, et al.Ototoxicity: a high risk to auditory function that needs to be monitored in drug development.Front Mol Neurosci.2024;17:1379743. doi:10.3389/fnmol.2024.1379743
Kim MJ, Farrell J.Orthostatic hypotension: a practical approach.Am Fam Physician.2022;105(1):39-49.
Orendorz-Frączkowska K, Temporale H.Organ of hearing and balance in peri- and postmenopausal women. effects of hormone replacement therapy on hearing and balance in peri- and post-menopausal women: the current state of knowledge.Adv Clin Exp Med.2020;29(6):751-755. doi:10.17219/acem/121935
Sebastianelli G, Atalar AÇ, Cetta I, et al.Insights from triggers and prodromal symptoms on how migraine attacks start: the threshold hypothesis.Cephalalgia.2024;44(10):3331024241287224. doi:10.1177/03331024241287224
Godek P, Ruciński W.Differentiating the structural and functional instability of the craniocervical junction.Healthcare(Basel). 2024;12(19):2003. doi:10.3390/healthcare12192003
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