Causes Of Feeling Dizzy When Lying Down (benign Paroxysmal ...

Maybe your like

Medical News TodaySubscribeWhat causes dizziness when lying down?

Medically reviewed by Angelica Balingit, MD — Written by Jennifer Huizen — Updated on February 5, 2025

Causes
Symptoms of BPPV
Diagnosis
Treatments
Contacting a doctor
Summary

Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) is the main cause of dizziness when lying down. Ear infections, head injuries, and other issues can also cause dizziness.

BPPV happens with certain head movements. People with BPPV experience paroxysmal, or sudden and short periods of vertigo.

If dizziness is due to another condition, symptoms may be present when lying down as well as when sitting or standing.

Read on to learn more about BPPV, other causes of dizziness when lying down, how doctors diagnose the cause, treatment options, and more.

Causes of dizziness when lying down

The main cause of dizziness when lying down is BPPV. It is the most common form of vertigo.

BPPV usually occurs when calcium carbonate crystals, or otoconia, that sit in a gravity-sensing part of the ear called the utricle become dislodged. They then move to the fluid-filled, motion-sensing semicircular canals.

If enough otoconia accumulate in any of the canals, it can disrupt the fluid movement the canals use to detect head motion.

The semicircular canals do not usually react to gravity. However, otoconia move along with gravity. As a result, when clumps of otoconia build up in the semicircular canals, they can make the motion-sensing fluid move when it should not. This sends an incorrect message to the brain that the head is moving.

When the brain compares this false message from the inner ear with information from the other senses and organs, it cannot make them match, so it recognizes it as a spinning sensation.

This miscue causes nystagmus, a condition where the eyes move uncontrollably back and forth or up and down, making it seem like someone’s surroundings are spinning.

BPPV often develops without an identifiable cause. However, a few conditions may cause or influence BPPV, including:

head injury
inner ear infections
osteoporosis
diabetes
Ménière’s disease
migraine
labyrinthitis

Other causes

If another condition causes dizziness while standing or sitting, the dizziness may resolve while lying down. However, for some people, dizziness may persist even when they are lying down.

Some other causes of dizziness include:

ear infection
dehydration
low blood sugar due to diabetes
anxiety
stress
motion sickness
iron deficiency anemia

Some medications can also cause dizziness as a side effect.

It is best to contact a doctor if a person experiences frequent dizziness. The doctor can provide an accurate diagnosis and advise on suitable treatments.

What BPPV feels like

People with BPPV experience vertigo, a sudden sensation that everything around them is spinning when it is not. People experiencing vertigo because of inner ear problems, typically, also have nystagmus, or uncontrollable eye movement.

People with BPPV may experience the specific sensation of vertigo in various ways. They may also experience it differently, depending on the movement that triggers the symptoms.

The spinning or whirling sensation of vertigo can be rotary, a feeling similar to having just gotten off a merry-go-round. Vertigo can also make it feel as though the ground is tilting up and down, a sensation similar to being on a boat.

A further description of vertigo is that it can make people who are trying to get out of bed feel like they are falling back into bed, and people getting into bed feel like they are falling through the bed.

In most cases, BPPV prompts vertigo only after certain types of movement or actions that cause the head to change position in relation to gravity, such as:

lying down
getting up after lying down, especially for a long time
rolling over in bed
making quick head movements
looking up
getting in and out of bed
bending over

Most people who wake up with vertigo tend to have BPPV. The type of vertigo BPPV usually causes will last for 1 minute or less. Some people with BPPV are symptom-free between spells of dizziness, but others continue to feel a lack of balance all or most of the time.

Vertigo is the primary symptom that BPPV causes. However, the uneasy feeling of vertigo can cause other symptoms such as:

feeling off balance
dizziness
nausea and vomiting
difficulty walking or moving around

Diagnosing the cause of dizziness when lying down

To assist with reaching an accurate diagnosis, a doctor may begin by performing a physical examination and asking questions about symptoms.

They may then refer a person to a specialized health professional, such as an ear, nose, and throat doctor or vestibular rehabilitation therapist.

The specialist will get a person to move their head in certain ways to see what movements cause symptoms.

When someone is experiencing vertigo, the specialist will carefully watch their nystagmus for specific patterns that allow for confirmation of BPPV. This also helps to determine which ear and which canal the displaced otoconia are occurring.

To properly treat BPPV, a specialist will also need to determine which type of BPPV someone has. This may be canalithiasis or cupulolithiasis.

Canalithiasis is the most common form of BPPV and involves otoconia that move freely in the ear canal fluid.

Cupulolithiasis is much rarer than canalithiasis and involves otoconia that are stuck on the bundle of nerves that sense the fluid movement in the canal.

Treatments for dizziness when lying down

Treatments for dizziness when lying down can depend on the underlying cause. Treating the condition responsible for a person’s symptoms may help them resolve.

BPPV treatments

There are various treatments that can help with BPPV.

Canalith repositioning maneuvers

Specialists may treat BPPV using canalith repositioning maneuvers.

Canalith repositioning maneuvers are a specific series of head movements that allow gravity to guide the otoconia to a place in the inner ear that can reabsorb them.

There are different methods of canalith repositioning maneuvers, and which one someone receives depends on their specific diagnosis.

Epley maneuver

The Epley maneuver can treat canalithiasis. To perform the Epley maneuver, a doctor or specialist will ask the person to the following:

Sit on the exam table with their eyes open and then turn their head 45 degrees to the left.
Quickly lie down on the back, coming to a resting position with their head hanging over the end of the exam table.
Wait for around 60 seconds.
Turn their head 45 degrees to the right.
Wait for around 60 seconds.
Turn onto their side and turn their head so that they are looking at the floor
Wait for around 60 seconds.
Slowly sit up.

Liberatory maneuver

Cupulolithiasis may improve using the liberatory maneuver. This technique involves rapidly moving the head in the plane of the affected ear canal to try and shake free the displaced otoconia.

Once the otoconia are free, the maneuver guides them out of the canal and back to their proper chamber using another method of CRM.

How effective are BPPV treatments?

It can take several sessions to resolve BPPV completely using canalith repositioning maneuver methods, but most people do fully recover. By some estimates, upwards of 90% of BPPV cases resolve after between one and three canalith repositioning maneuver treatments.

Other treatments may take longer.

Even after the vertigo itself has gone, many people recovering from BPPV still feel sensitivity to motion and unsteadiness. A doctor or therapist will usually explain at-home exercises that can help reduce these residual feelings fairly quickly.

Learn about home remedies for vertigo.

When to contact a doctor

People should talk with a doctor about recurring periods of dizziness or vertigo. The doctor may order tests or refer the individual to a specialist to determine the cause of dizziness when lying down.

People with vertigo should seek emergency medical care if they experience additional symptoms that do not have links to BPPV, such as:

constant dizziness or vertigo
fainting
hearing loss or changes
severe headache
fever
loss of vision or double vision
numbness or tingling
arm or leg weakness
pins and needles
trouble speaking
trouble coordinating movements
chest pains

Summary

Dizziness when lying down may be due to benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV). It can happen without an identifiable cause, or a head injury or underlying condition such as Ménière’s disease can lead to BPPV.

If a person experiences dizziness when lying down as well as when sitting or standing, it may be due to an ear infection, dehydration, anxiety, iron deficiency anemia, or another cause of dizziness. Some medications can also cause dizziness.

It is important to contact a doctor if a person has concerns about dizziness. They may need to visit a specialist for an accurate diagnosis and suitable treatment plan.

Diabetes
Ear, Nose, and Throat
Headache / Migraine

How we reviewed this article:

SourcesMedical News Today has strict sourcing guidelines and relies on peer-reviewed studies, academic research institutions, and medical journals and associations. We only use quality, credible sources to ensure content accuracy and integrity. You can learn more about how we ensure our content is accurate and current by reading our editorial policy.

Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo. (2024).https://rarediseases.org/rare-diseases/benign-paroxysmal-positional-vertigo/
Dizziness. (2023).https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/dizziness/
Home Epley manoeuvre to treat BPPV (left ear). (2024).https://www.uhs.nhs.uk/Media/UHS-website-2019/Patientinformation/Audiology/Home-Epley-manoeuvre-to-treat-BPPV-left-ear-2782-PIL.pdf
Palmeri R, et al. (2022). Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK470308/
Stop the room from spinning: Causes and treatments of vertigo. (2023).https://healthcare.utah.edu/healthfeed/2023/11/stop-room-spinning-causes-and-treatments-of-vertigo
Woodhouse S, et al. (2022). Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV).https://vestibular.org/article/diagnosis-treatment/types-of-vestibular-disorders/benign-paroxysmal-positional-vertigo-bppv/

Share this article

Medically reviewed by Angelica Balingit, MD — Written by Jennifer Huizen — Updated on February 5, 2025

Latest news

High fat, low- carb diet lowers blood sugar, improves exercise response in mice
High fat, high sugar diet may leave lasting changes on brain, eating later in life
Being at high altitudes could help blood sugar control: Here's why
Eating high amounts of red meat may raise diabetes risk by as much as 49%
5 facts and myths about protein, unpicked by experts

Related Coverage

What causes dizziness?Medically reviewed by Angelica Balingit, MD
Some common reasons for feeling dizzy include migraine episodes, low blood pressure, motion sickness, and stress. Resolving the underlying cause will…
READ MORE
Everything you need to know about vertigoMedically reviewed by Meredith Goodwin, MD, FAAFP
Vertigo is a sense of spinning dizziness that nausea often accompanies. It can result from a problem in the inner ear, brain, or sensory nerve…
READ MORE
What can cause sudden dizziness?Medically reviewed by Arefa Cassoobhoy, MD, MPH
Sudden dizziness can result from many issues, including inner ear problems and low blood pressure. Here, learn tips for reducing it and more.
READ MORE
Can vision problems cause dizziness?
Vision problems such as sight loss can cause dizziness and balance issues. Learn more about the relationship and other causes of dizziness.
READ MORE
What can cause dizziness to occur after sex?
People may feel dizzy after sex for many reasons. It may be due to dehydration or overexertion, but some health conditions can also cause it.
READ MORE

Tag » Why Do I Feel Nauseous When I Lay Down

Causes Of Feeling Dizzy When Lying Down (benign Paroxysmal ...

Causes of dizziness when lying down

Other causes

What BPPV feels like

Diagnosing the cause of dizziness when lying down

Treatments for dizziness when lying down

BPPV treatments

Canalith repositioning maneuvers

Epley maneuver

Liberatory maneuver

How effective are BPPV treatments?

When to contact a doctor

Summary

How we reviewed this article:

Latest news

Related Coverage

What To Do When You Feel Nauseous - AFC Urgent Care

Nausea At Night: Causes, Treatment, Prevention - Healthline

How Do I Stop Feeling Nauseated When Lying Down? - Quora

Nausea At Night: Causes, Symptoms, Treatment - Verywell Health

"Why Do I Get Nauseous At Night?" An Expert Explains - Elite Daily

Feeling Nausea At Night: Causes And Remedies - Vinmec

Causes Of Nausea When Lying Down: 5 Tips For Getting Relief

Why Do I Wake Up Feeling Nauseous?

Why Do You Feel Sick In The Morning (and You Aren't Pregnant)?

Does Anyone Else Get Mild Nausea When You Lay Down At Night? 19

Understanding Balance: Dizziness When Lying Down - Fyzical

How To Sleep When You're Sick – The Best Sleeping Positions

Why Do I Feel Nauseous? 7 Possible Explanations - Woman's Day

Why Do You Feel Sicker At Night? - Intercoastal Medical Group

Contact