Waking Up Dizzy: Causes And Treatments - Healthline

Maybe your like

HealthlineSubscribe

Nutrition

Why Am I Dizzy When I Wake Up?

Medically reviewed by Cynthia Taylor Chavoustie, MPAS, PA-C — Written by Chaunie Brusie — Updated on August 16, 2024

Sleep apnea
Dehydration
Low blood sugar
Medication
Prevention
Takeaway

Dizziness upon waking can result from shifting fluid in your inner ear or health conditions like low blood sugar and dehydration. Staying hydrated may help reduce dizziness.

There are many possible causes for dizziness, from an underlying medical condition to medication to a long night of having too much fun. In general, however, morning dizziness is something that occasionally happens to a lot of people and isn’t a cause for concern.

If you’re dizzy in the morning right after you wake up, it could be a result of the sudden change of balance as your body adjusts from a reclining position to a standing one. If you have a cold or sinus issues, you may notice the dizziness worsening because of excess fluid and swelling in your sinuses.

Read on to learn about common issues that could lead to morning dizziness and how to manage them.

Sleep apnea

According to research, daytime dizziness is a common symptom of sleep apnea.

Sleep apnea is an obstructive breathing condition, which means you temporarily stop breathing at night if you have it. These interruptions in breathing can lead to lower oxygen levels, which could cause dizziness when you wake up in the morning.

Dehydration

One of the most common causes for waking up with dizziness is dehydration. If you drink alcohol before bed, for example, you may be especially dehydrated when you wake up in the morning.

Even if you don’t drink any alcohol, you may get dehydrated if you work in a hot environment, don’t drink enough liquids, take diuretics, consume a lot of caffeinated beverages, or sweat a lot.

Low blood sugar

Waking up dizzy in the morning could also be a sign that you have low blood sugar. This can make you dizzy before you’ve eaten breakfast.

If you have diabetes and take insulin or other medications, you can become hypoglycemic (low blood sugar) in the morning if you don’t eat enough the night before or if your medication dose is too high.

You can check this by taking a blood glucose reading. If your reading is below 70 mg/dL, you are considered to have low blood sugar.

You can be hypoglycemic even if you don’t have diabetes. If you regularly experience periods of dizziness, fatigue, or feeling sick and weak between meals or snacks, speak with your doctor about testing for hypoglycemia.

Medications

If you’re regularly taking any medications, they may be the culprit behind your morning dizziness. Medications that may cause dizziness include:

aspirin
anticonvulsants
sedatives
antidepressants
heart medication

Speak with your doctor about what side effects your current medications might have and if your prescribed medication is making you dizzy. There may be a solution, like taking your medication at a different time or adjusting your dosage.

Managing and preventing morning dizziness

The most important thing you can do to reduce morning dizziness is to stay hydrated during the day. Even if you don’t feel thirsty, your body can still be at risk of getting dehydrated, especially if you have a very physically active job, work outside, or engage in intense exercise.

While daily fluid requirements vary from person to person, you can include more water by carrying a water bottle and drinking it with each meal. You need more water if you are very active, sweat heavily, or are pregnant.

Avoid drinking alcohol, especially before bed, and drink a full glass of water before bed and after waking. To make it convenient, keep a water glass or bottle next to your bed so you can drink water first thing in the morning.

If these measures don’t work, you may have a medical condition that’s causing your dizziness. In these cases, treating the underlying cause should help reduce your symptoms. For example, treatment for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) has been shown to be an effective way to relieve dizziness in people with the condition.

The bottom line

If you regularly wake up with dizziness or experience regular episodes throughout the day, speak with your doctor to rule out any possible medical conditions that could be causing the dizziness.

There are many conditions that could lead to dizziness, so it’s important to be tested if your dizziness doesn’t go away or if it’s happening every morning. Treating the underlying cause of your dizziness should resolve it.

How we reviewed this article:

SourcesHistoryHealthline 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.

About water and healthier drinks. (2024).https://www.cdc.gov/healthy-weight-growth/water-healthy-drinks/index.html
Altın B, et al. (2022). Is inadequate water intake a risk factor for vestibular disorders?https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10682806/
Foster CA, et al. (2020). The clinical spectrum of dizziness in sleep apnea.https://journals.lww.com/otology-neurotology/fulltext/2020/12000/the_clinical_spectrum_of_dizziness_in_sleep_apnea.24.aspx

Share this article

Medically reviewed by Cynthia Taylor Chavoustie, MPAS, PA-C — Written by Chaunie Brusie — Updated on August 16, 2024

Health Conditions

Condition Spotlight

Wellness Topics

Product Reviews

Featured Programs

Featured

Lessons

Newsletters

Lifestyle Quizzes

Health News

This Just In

Top Reads

Video Series

Find Your Bezzy Community

Follow us on social media