Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsWhat Is Dizziness?Causes in the MorningHow to Tell If It’s SeriousStopping Morning Dizziness
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
What Is Dizziness?
Causes in the Morning
How to Tell If It’s Serious
Stopping Morning Dizziness
There are various causes for waking up dizzy. Often, this doesn’t indicate anything serious, especially if the dizziness is mild and resolves quickly. You might be dehydrated or prone to low blood pressure. However, morning dizziness can also be a sign of many other medical conditions, some more serious than others.
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“Being dizzy”can mean different things. These terms aren’t precise, and sometimes it’s hard to describe how you feel.Here are some symptoms that fall under the category of “dizziness.”
Sometimes, you might feel dizzy in certain psychological situations, like if you are experiencing a lot of stress or anxiety or if you are in a lot of pain.
Causes of Dizziness When Lying Down (and When to Worry)
What Causes Morning Dizziness?
Anything that restricts blood or blood glucose circulation can cause temporary light-headedness. Problems with the inner ear can often lead to vertigo, whereas problems with the nervous system might cause different types of dizziness.
The following discusses some of the more common and importantcausesof waking up dizzy, though other causes are possible.
Dehydration
Dehydrationcan cause morning dizziness in some people. Dry lips and a decreased urge to pee upon waking may indicate dehydration.
When you don’t drink enough fluids, a smaller volume of blood circulates throughout your body. This lowers the circulation to your brain, which can cause dizziness in some people. Dehydration can also sometimes lead to abnormalities in yourelectrolytes(charged particles in your blood), which can also sometimes cause dizziness.
Low Blood Pressure
Dehydration may be more of a problem if you already have relatively low blood pressure. Having lower blood pressure is generally a good thing (it reduces your chances of heart disease).
However, dehydration lowers blood pressure even more. People with generallylower blood pressuremay be more prone to dizziness if they get dehydrated, especially if their resting blood pressure reading is around 90/60 millimeters of mercury (mm Hg) or below.
Orthostatic HypotensionYour blood pressure might drop slightly when you stand up suddenly, as blood pools in the legs. But the body quickly responds, so you don’t notice anything.People with orthostatic hypotension have a slower bodily response and might feel light-headed orfaintupon standing. Dehydration can worsen orthostatic hypotension.
Orthostatic Hypotension
Your blood pressure might drop slightly when you stand up suddenly, as blood pools in the legs. But the body quickly responds, so you don’t notice anything.People with orthostatic hypotension have a slower bodily response and might feel light-headed orfaintupon standing. Dehydration can worsen orthostatic hypotension.
Low Blood Sugar
If you have diabetes and experience dizziness upon waking,check your blood glucose levels. If the level is between 55 and 69 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL), have 15 grams (g) of carbs (e.g., a half cup of juice) and then recheck your blood glucose.
Alcohol and DizzinessAlcohol can affect the inner ear and brain regions important for balance. Alcohol can also dehydrate you and cause your blood sugar to dip in the morning, particularly if you didn’t have much food to eat while you were drinking.
Alcohol and Dizziness
Alcohol can affect the inner ear and brain regions important for balance. Alcohol can also dehydrate you and cause your blood sugar to dip in the morning, particularly if you didn’t have much food to eat while you were drinking.
Vertigo From Inner Ear Problems
Differentinner earproblems can also lead to symptoms of true vertigo.
Sleep Apnea
Havingsleep apneaincreases the risk of having vertigo or another kind of dizziness. Interruptions in nighttime breathing may trigger downstream changes in blood flow to the inner ear, which might lead to symptoms.
Heart Problems
Abnormal heart rhythms can cause your heart not to pump as effectively as it should, causing lightheadedness. For example, this might happen temporarily in someone with a heart rhythm problem calledatrial fibrillation, in which the first chamber of the heart isn’t contracting efficiently.
People who haveheart failure, in which the heart can’t pump as effectively as it should overall, are often prone to dizziness. They may have low blood pressure, and they may be more prone to heart rhythm problems. Certain medications often used to treat heart failure may also increase the risk of dizziness.
Dizziness and Heart AttacksAheart attackcan also cause dizziness, but this usually occurs along with othersymptomslike pain in the chest, the left arm, and/or the jaw and shortness of breath.
Dizziness and Heart Attacks
Aheart attackcan also cause dizziness, but this usually occurs along with othersymptomslike pain in the chest, the left arm, and/or the jaw and shortness of breath.
Medications
Various medications can cause dizziness. People at an increased risk of dizziness due to advanced age or a medical condition are more prone to dizziness from certain medicines. However, not everyone taking the following medications experiences this side effect:
However, this is not a complete list. Check with your pharmacist to learn whether the medications you take cause dizziness.
Brain Causes of Dizziness
Although uncommon, these are some of the most severe potential causes of dizziness. Because some parts of your brain are essential for balance and coordinated movement, injury to specific brain regions might also cause dizziness. Examples include:
The intensity of dizziness from brain problems may not be severe, which alone can’t rule out neurological causes.
How Do You Know If Dizziness Is Serious?
Dizziness is more likely to indicate asevere underlying medical problemin older adults or people with other risk factors for stroke or heart disease. You should get checked for dizziness that doesn’t go away, frequent morning dizziness, severe dizziness, or repeated fainting.
If you have true vertigo, seek prompt medical attention. Vertigo doesn’t always indicate a severe problem, but it’s very bothersome, and treatment can help reduce your symptoms.
When to Call 911 for DizzinessSeek immediate medical attention for dizziness along with any of the following symptoms:Chest painAfluttery feeling in your chest, like you have an irregular or very fast heartbeatMuscle weakness, paralysis, or loss of sensationUnusual eye movements or sudden difficulty seeingSudden confusion or difficulty speakingFacial droopingSudden severe headache
When to Call 911 for Dizziness
Seek immediate medical attention for dizziness along with any of the following symptoms:Chest painAfluttery feeling in your chest, like you have an irregular or very fast heartbeatMuscle weakness, paralysis, or loss of sensationUnusual eye movements or sudden difficulty seeingSudden confusion or difficulty speakingFacial droopingSudden severe headache
Seek immediate medical attention for dizziness along with any of the following symptoms:
How to Stop Feeling Dizzy in the Morning
Depending on the underlying cause, you may be able to take steps such as the following to feel less dizzy in the morning:
If morning dizziness persists, don’t ignore it. Work with a healthcare provider to figure out how best to manage it.
Summary
Waking up dizzy can happen for various reasons, most of which are not medically serious. Dehydration, low blood pressure, and medication side effects are some of the most common causes of dizziness, as are problems with the inner ear. People with certain medical conditions, such as diabetes, sleep apnea, and heart failure, are more prone to dizziness.
Talk to a healthcare provider about your symptoms. If you experience chest pain, muscle weakness, or sudden numbness alongside dizziness get immediate medical attention.
14 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.Muncie HL, Sirmans SM, James E.Dizziness: approach to evaluation and management.Am Fam Physician. 2017;95(3):154-162.National Institutes of Health. National Library of Medicine. MedlinePlus.Dehydration.Susanto M.Dizziness: if not vertigo could it be cardiac disease?.Aust Fam Physician. 2014;43(5):264-269.Fuchs FD, Whelton PK.High blood pressure and cardiovascular disease.Hypertension. 2020;75(2):285-292. doi:10.1161/HYPERTENSIONAHA.119.14240National Institutes of Health. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.Low blood pressure.Wieling W, Kaufmann H, Claydon VE, et al.Diagnosis and treatment of orthostatic hypotension.Lancet Neurol. 2022;21(8):735-746. doi:10.1016/S1474-4422(22)00169-7Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Low blood sugar (hypoglycemia).Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Treatment of low blood sugar (hypoglycemia).Dommaraju S, Perera E.An approach to vertigo in general practice.Aust Fam Physician. 2016;45(4):190-194.Foster CA, Machala M, Maria.The clinical spectrum of dizziness in sleep apnea.Otology & Neurotology. 2020;41(10):1419-1422. doi:10.1097/MAO.0000000000002824American Heart Association.Warning signs of a heart attack.Chimirri S, Aiello R, Mazzitello C, et al.Vertigo/dizziness as a drugs' adverse reaction.J Pharmacol Pharmacother. 2013;4(Suppl 1):S104-9. doi:10.4103/0976-500X.120969Spiegel R, Rust H, Baumann T, et al.Treatment of dizziness: an interdisciplinary update.Swiss Med Wkly. 2017;147:w14566. doi:10.4414/smw.2017.14566Sheikhzadeh M, Lotfi Y, Mousavi A, Heidari B, Monadi M, Bakhshi E.Influence of supplemental vitamin D on intensity of benign paroxysmal positional vertigo: A longitudinal clinical study.Caspian J Intern Med. 2016;7(2):93-8.
14 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.Muncie HL, Sirmans SM, James E.Dizziness: approach to evaluation and management.Am Fam Physician. 2017;95(3):154-162.National Institutes of Health. National Library of Medicine. MedlinePlus.Dehydration.Susanto M.Dizziness: if not vertigo could it be cardiac disease?.Aust Fam Physician. 2014;43(5):264-269.Fuchs FD, Whelton PK.High blood pressure and cardiovascular disease.Hypertension. 2020;75(2):285-292. doi:10.1161/HYPERTENSIONAHA.119.14240National Institutes of Health. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.Low blood pressure.Wieling W, Kaufmann H, Claydon VE, et al.Diagnosis and treatment of orthostatic hypotension.Lancet Neurol. 2022;21(8):735-746. doi:10.1016/S1474-4422(22)00169-7Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Low blood sugar (hypoglycemia).Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Treatment of low blood sugar (hypoglycemia).Dommaraju S, Perera E.An approach to vertigo in general practice.Aust Fam Physician. 2016;45(4):190-194.Foster CA, Machala M, Maria.The clinical spectrum of dizziness in sleep apnea.Otology & Neurotology. 2020;41(10):1419-1422. doi:10.1097/MAO.0000000000002824American Heart Association.Warning signs of a heart attack.Chimirri S, Aiello R, Mazzitello C, et al.Vertigo/dizziness as a drugs' adverse reaction.J Pharmacol Pharmacother. 2013;4(Suppl 1):S104-9. doi:10.4103/0976-500X.120969Spiegel R, Rust H, Baumann T, et al.Treatment of dizziness: an interdisciplinary update.Swiss Med Wkly. 2017;147:w14566. doi:10.4414/smw.2017.14566Sheikhzadeh M, Lotfi Y, Mousavi A, Heidari B, Monadi M, Bakhshi E.Influence of supplemental vitamin D on intensity of benign paroxysmal positional vertigo: A longitudinal clinical study.Caspian J Intern Med. 2016;7(2):93-8.
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.
Muncie HL, Sirmans SM, James E.Dizziness: approach to evaluation and management.Am Fam Physician. 2017;95(3):154-162.National Institutes of Health. National Library of Medicine. MedlinePlus.Dehydration.Susanto M.Dizziness: if not vertigo could it be cardiac disease?.Aust Fam Physician. 2014;43(5):264-269.Fuchs FD, Whelton PK.High blood pressure and cardiovascular disease.Hypertension. 2020;75(2):285-292. doi:10.1161/HYPERTENSIONAHA.119.14240National Institutes of Health. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.Low blood pressure.Wieling W, Kaufmann H, Claydon VE, et al.Diagnosis and treatment of orthostatic hypotension.Lancet Neurol. 2022;21(8):735-746. doi:10.1016/S1474-4422(22)00169-7Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Low blood sugar (hypoglycemia).Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Treatment of low blood sugar (hypoglycemia).Dommaraju S, Perera E.An approach to vertigo in general practice.Aust Fam Physician. 2016;45(4):190-194.Foster CA, Machala M, Maria.The clinical spectrum of dizziness in sleep apnea.Otology & Neurotology. 2020;41(10):1419-1422. doi:10.1097/MAO.0000000000002824American Heart Association.Warning signs of a heart attack.Chimirri S, Aiello R, Mazzitello C, et al.Vertigo/dizziness as a drugs' adverse reaction.J Pharmacol Pharmacother. 2013;4(Suppl 1):S104-9. doi:10.4103/0976-500X.120969Spiegel R, Rust H, Baumann T, et al.Treatment of dizziness: an interdisciplinary update.Swiss Med Wkly. 2017;147:w14566. doi:10.4414/smw.2017.14566Sheikhzadeh M, Lotfi Y, Mousavi A, Heidari B, Monadi M, Bakhshi E.Influence of supplemental vitamin D on intensity of benign paroxysmal positional vertigo: A longitudinal clinical study.Caspian J Intern Med. 2016;7(2):93-8.
Muncie HL, Sirmans SM, James E.Dizziness: approach to evaluation and management.Am Fam Physician. 2017;95(3):154-162.
National Institutes of Health. National Library of Medicine. MedlinePlus.Dehydration.
Susanto M.Dizziness: if not vertigo could it be cardiac disease?.Aust Fam Physician. 2014;43(5):264-269.
Fuchs FD, Whelton PK.High blood pressure and cardiovascular disease.Hypertension. 2020;75(2):285-292. doi:10.1161/HYPERTENSIONAHA.119.14240
National Institutes of Health. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.Low blood pressure.
Wieling W, Kaufmann H, Claydon VE, et al.Diagnosis and treatment of orthostatic hypotension.Lancet Neurol. 2022;21(8):735-746. doi:10.1016/S1474-4422(22)00169-7
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Low blood sugar (hypoglycemia).
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Treatment of low blood sugar (hypoglycemia).
Dommaraju S, Perera E.An approach to vertigo in general practice.Aust Fam Physician. 2016;45(4):190-194.
Foster CA, Machala M, Maria.The clinical spectrum of dizziness in sleep apnea.Otology & Neurotology. 2020;41(10):1419-1422. doi:10.1097/MAO.0000000000002824
American Heart Association.Warning signs of a heart attack.
Chimirri S, Aiello R, Mazzitello C, et al.Vertigo/dizziness as a drugs' adverse reaction.J Pharmacol Pharmacother. 2013;4(Suppl 1):S104-9. doi:10.4103/0976-500X.120969
Spiegel R, Rust H, Baumann T, et al.Treatment of dizziness: an interdisciplinary update.Swiss Med Wkly. 2017;147:w14566. doi:10.4414/smw.2017.14566
Sheikhzadeh M, Lotfi Y, Mousavi A, Heidari B, Monadi M, Bakhshi E.Influence of supplemental vitamin D on intensity of benign paroxysmal positional vertigo: A longitudinal clinical study.Caspian J Intern Med. 2016;7(2):93-8.
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