Relationship between sleep apnea and dizziness: a scoping review.

Study objectives: Dizziness in people with sleep apnea remains relatively underrecognized, despite accumulating evidence of this relationship from recent studies. This scoping review aimed to summarize evidence from existing research on the relationship between sleep apnea and dizziness.

Methods: We used Arksey and O'Malley's 5-stage framework to structure and guide this scoping review. We searched the Embase, PubMed, CINAHL, and Cochrane Library databases, along with a hand search.

Results: A total of 21 studies were finally included in this scoping review. Studies encompassed case reports, cross-sectional studies, retrospective cohort studies, and quasi-experimental studies. This review identified both a higher incidence of dizziness among people with sleep apnea and a greater prevalence of sleep apnea among people with dizziness, compared with their healthy counterparts. Additionally, across the majority of included studies, significant associations were found between the degree of dizziness and sleep apnea or its related parameters. Studies consistently reported that continuous positive airway pressure treatment led to either complete or partial resolution of dizziness in people with sleep apnea.

Conclusions: Overall, evidence from existing articles collectively indicates that sleep apnea is related to dizziness. However, many of the included studies were limited by their cross-sectional design and relatively small sample size. Results of this scoping review suggest that it may be beneficial to consider the potential relationship between sleep apnea and dizziness while evaluating patients. Further research is needed to validate a causal effect of sleep apnea on dizziness.

Citation: Kim E, Wi D, Kim Y, Lee J. Relationship between sleep apnea and dizziness: a scoping review. J Clin Sleep Med. 2025;21(9):1597-1609.