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Dizziness When Waking Up
We don’t think much about it because we believe dizziness when waking up is natural and harmless. after having a quality sleep when we wake up and suddenly feel dizziness or a blank head, it tensed us. Most of us don’t care for it or don’t think about it. But is it really this harmless? Are we sure about it? who will answer this question? I searched for it in google for dizziness after woke up but nowhere I got a perfect and simple answer. So as a doctor I think it’s my responsibility to enlighten you about it.
first of all, we have to know what is dizziness;
there are so many books and Doctor maintained websites that wrote definition about it. But among them the best one is;
Dizziness is a term used to describe a range of sensations, such as feeling faint, woozy, weak or unsteady. Dizziness that creates the false sense that you or your surroundings are spinning or moving is called vertigo. Learn more about dizziness.
So, let me tell you how our body maintains our balance first. If you read biology in school you can relate to it easily.
In our inner ear, there is a semilunar canal. the balancing hair situated there. It provides the necessary information to the brain to maintain balance. In this image, you can see how it occurs normally when someone is standing normally. And how it spins while we are rotating. This is the reason why we feel dizziness right after we spin. Because we may stop spinning but the hair is still spinning in the liquid.
The same case, when we wake up suddenly after sleeping. It takes some time to be balanced. But if you feel dizziness every time after waking up and every time it takes more than 5-10 seconds, then you have to learn more about it. Maybe you have some condition that accelerating it.
Sleep apnea causes dizziness when waking up
Sleep apnea is a potentially serious sleep disorder in which breathing repeatedly stops and starts. If you snore loudly and feel tired even after a full night’s sleep, you might have sleep apnea.
What are the primary symptoms of sleep apnea?
- Loud snoring.
- Episodes in which you stop breathing during sleep — which would be reported by another person.
- Gasping for air during sleep.
- Awakening with a dry mouth.
- Morning dizziness
- Difficulty staying asleep
You may already understand it how sleep apnea is related to morning dizziness. But for those who did not understand it, let me help you.
Sleep apnea interrupts your breathing. That’s why your body receives less oxygen than it’s needed. With low oxygen levels, your body fails to maintain proper balance.
Exsiccosis(dehydration) causes dizziness when waking up
Dehydration is also a cause of dizziness in the morning. Causes of dehydration?
- Diarrhea – the most common cause of dehydration and related deaths. …
- Vomiting – leads to a loss of fluids and makes it difficult to replace water by drinking it.
- Sweating – the body’s cooling mechanism releases a significant amount of water. …
- Diabetes – high blood sugar levels cause increased urination and fluid loss.
- Alcohol consuming.
- Diuretics intake (carbonated beverage, caffeine)
if you sleep in hot environment or a very small room you may face dehydration also.
Hypoglycemia (low sugar) causes dizziness when waking up
Glucose, a form of sugar, is the primary source of energy for every cell in the body. Because the brain is so rich in nerve cells, or neurons, it is the most energy-demanding organ, using one-half of all the sugar energy in the body.
Brain functions such as thinking, memory, and learning are closely linked to glucose levels and how efficiently the brain uses this fuel source. If there isn’t enough glucose in the brain, for example, neurotransmitters, the brain’s chemical messengers, are not produced and communication between neurons breaks down. In addition, hypoglycemia, a common complication of diabetes caused by low glucose levels in the blood, can lead to loss of energy for brain function and is linked to poor attention and cognitive function. Learn more about it.
Symptoms of hypoglycemia
- An irregular or fast heartbeat.
- Fatigue.
- Pale skin.
- Shakiness.
- Anxiety.
- Sweating.
- Hunger.
- Irritability.
If you face those symptoms regularly or very often then please don’t hesitate to consult with a doctor and be tested for hypoglycemia.
So, it’s clear when you are hypoglycemic, your brain cannot work properly and occurs dizziness very often especially in the morning just after waking up because of not taking food for at least 6 hours.
Some Medication may cause dizziness when waking up
Every drug is a necessary poison
We have to take medication to cure our disease and maintain a healthy life. But most of the powerful drug has few common side effects;
- Constipation.
- Skin rash or dermatitis.
- Diarrhea.
- Dizziness.
- Drowsiness.
- Dry mouth.
- Headache.
- Insomnia.
So if you are taking any medication and facing side effects including or excluding dizziness please contact your doctor as soon as possible.
Common drugs which cause dizziness or drowsiness as a side effect are;
antidepressants, anti-seizure drugs, blood pressure medications, allergy medicines, prostate drugs, and sedatives.
Those who have heart problems and taking medication for it, if you feel dizziness in the morning as well as at other times please contact your doctor. Because dizziness is a sign of heart failure also. So, any heart-conditioned patient should not neglect this.
Read Migraine vs Tension Headache
When to be aware of dizziness when waking up?
- If you feel dizziness a long time in the morning.
- If you feel dizziness throughout the day
- If you feel dizziness or spinning while taking cold water shower
- If you feel dizziness some times after taking your medication
- If you feel dizziness while lying on your back.
- If you feel breathlessness while sleep.
If your answer Is yes to any of the above questions then don’t waste your time and consult a doctor.
How to avoid dizziness in the morning?
- Stay hydrated all day long. A 70 kg 6 feet adult person should drink at least 12 full glasses of water a day. If you do a hardworking job with a lot of physical work, drink more. Stay hydrated. Water is natural medicine. Which will keep you tuned for your life.
- When waking up from sleep, please don’t rush. Already after reading the above discussion, you know how our balance system work. So, from lying position be seated on the bed. Then after a few seconds gently wake up. You can also keep a bottle of water beside your bed to drink and start a very good day.
- Avoid alcohol and smoking. Also try to avoid diuretics(caffeine, carbonated beverage, tea, etc.) 2/3 hours before sleep.
- Don’t sleep on a hard pillow. Sleep comfortably on a soft pillow.
- Sometimes long hair accelerates headache and dizziness. If you are a man/boy, try to short your hair and watch out if it’s work or not.
- If you are on medication, possibly it’s a side effect of your drug. Consult a Doctor.
Few Last Words
While you started to read this article you were unsure about morning dizziness. Should you take it seriously or not. Now after all of this discussion, you should be clear about it. Now you have your answer. Stay healthy, stay focused. Thank you. ♥
Read Headache on the top of the head.
Last Updated on February 23, 2022 by Learn From Doctor Team
