Who doesn’t look forward to a good night’s rest? We’re taught from an early age the importance of getting a solid 8 hours. But we’re not really told why. As we age, we recognize the importance of sleep, particularly after a bad night’s rest. Poor sleep makes you irritable, forgetful, lazy, the list goes on. But can lack of sleep cause dizziness?
I’m “Lack of Sleep Dizzy”
Most people overlook the fact that there are many Types of Dizziness one can experience. There’s vertigo, imbalance, disequilibrium, wooziness, and the list goes on. There’s also a type of dizziness we like to call Lack of Sleep Dizzy.
Lack of Sleep Dizzy is the “head in the clouds” feeling you get after a bad night’s rest.
Lack of Sleep Dizzy is a ditzy, disconnected feeling. As if you’re not fully present. Poor sleep quality causes fatigue. Additionally, not getting enough sleep makes it harder to focus. The more fatigued and unable to focus you are, the worse your coordination and balance are. Thus, making you susceptible to falls.
We all know that sleep is our body’s time for reset and recovery. And without proper sleep, our bodies react adversely. Our blood glucose levels don’t regulate properly. We’re more susceptible to headaches. And ultimately, we’re more easily stressed.
All of these problems from poor sleep quality mix together to create a cocktail (unofficially) called Lack of Sleep Dizzy.
The antidote to Lack of Sleep Dizzy is simple. Get a better night’s rest. How? Well, we’re not sleep experts. But the Sleep Foundation and Mayo Clinic are a couple of great resources to start with.
The type of sleep-related dizziness we’re more able to treat is the type that is rooted in a vestibular disorder.
Does Sleep Affect Vestibular Disorders?
Vestibular disorders such as BPPV, Vestibular Migraine, Meniere’s Disease, Labyrinthitis, among others can all be impacted by sleep quality. Each of these vestibular disorders comes with varying types of dizziness symptoms.
Although sleep quality does not directly cause a vestibular disorder, it is a trigger. Similar to how stress is a trigger for dizzy symptoms, sleep quality aggravates our systems and triggers symptoms. Not to mention, vestibular disorders often disrupt life leading to bad sleep, thus creating a downward spiral of worsening quality of life.
Not all vestibular disorders are affected by sleep quality the same. For example, this study found that of all vestibular disorders, vestibular migraine was the most impacted by sleep disturbances.
Unfortunately, getting one night of good rest isn’t going to cure your BPPV or vestibular migraine. Rather, understanding your vestibular disorder and making lifestyle modifications to include good sleep allows your body the time to rest and recover. This in addition to a well-rounded Vestibular Rehabilitation Therapy program and appropriate medical management will make a big difference.
If you feel lost and are unsure why you are dizzy, then please reach out to us.
The Dizzy & Vertigo Institute specializes in all things vestibular related. We have the proper equipment and Vestibular Audiologists who pinpoint and treat the source of your problems.
You can reach us at (310) 954-2207 or by filling out our contact form.
We look forward to helping you back to a dizzy-free life!