Waking Up Dizzy

Once in a while rather than waking up refreshed and ready to start your day, you may find yourself a little out of sorts, stumbling to the bathroom with dizziness and a groggy feeling. You may even feel the room spin and need to sit down for a few moments to clear your head. That’s when you wonder what’s going on, and how do I make it go away.

That feeling of lightheadedness, the room spinning, or being unbalanced is dizziness, and it can be accompanied by fainting or seizures. Dizziness on its own isn’t a condition, it’s a symptom of something else going on. Dizziness can place those with other conditions or those who are older at an increased risk of falls and/or injury.

Dizziness can be caused by many different reasons ranging from a long night of too much fun, or not enough sleep, to an underlying medical condition. But in general, typically for most people morning dizziness is something that can happen occasionally and it isn’t a big cause for concern.

Dizziness can be caused as a result of a sudden change of balance as your body adjusts from different positions, such as from reclining to standing, and it can be caused when the fluid in your inner ear shifts, especially when changing positions quickly. It can be caused by headaches, and it can also be caused by cold/sinus issues. Dizziness may even get worse with cold/sinus issues because of excess fluids and swelling in the sinuses that are linked to the inner ear.

Night-time breathing patterns like snoring and sleep apnea can also cause morning dizziness due to the interruptions in breathing leading to lower oxygen levels that may cause dizziness when you wake up. 

Although a less common symptom, GERD can cause dizziness, this can occur for a few reasons, but when acid refluxes into the upper GI system it can affect the tubes that lead to the inner ear. When these tubes become irritated, swelling can occur causing a loss of balance. Decaffeinated herbal teas may help to reduce the likelihood of this occurring as they help to improve digestion and ease symptoms of dizziness and nausea. 

Dehydration is one of the most common causes of morning dizziness. Drinking alcohol before you go to sleep may make you especially dehydrated when you wake.  Interestingly, overhydration can also cause dizziness along with cloudy thinking, muscle weakness, spasms, cramps, headaches, and nausea/vomiting. However, dehydration is a greater issue and more common. 

Waking up dizzy could also be a sign that you have low blood sugar. Those with diabetes who take insulin or other medications can become hypoglycemic in the morning if they don’t eat enough food the night before. However, even those without diabetes can become hypoglycemic. If you find yourself experiencing periods of fatigue, dizziness, or feeling sick and weak between meals and snacks regularly it is probably a good idea to talk to your doctor about getting tested for hypoglycemia. 

The best way to reduce the risk of morning dizziness is to stay hydrated during your waking hours. Aim for around 8 cups of water a day, you may even need more if you are pregnant, very active, work outside, or sweat a lot. 

If you wake up dizzy often, you may have a medical condition that is causing your dizziness, in this case, you should talk to your doctor who will help you to determine what is causing your dizziness.