The Influence of Sleep Position on Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo / 대한평형의학회지

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to identify the influence of sleep position on benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV). METHODS: Four hundred sixty patients diagnosed as posterior or horizontal canal BPPV were analyzed retrospectively. All patients were asked about their preferred sleep positions among the following four choices supine, right or left lateral, or no predominant side via questionnaire at initial visit and after 1month. Patients were classified into two groups affected side group meaning that the patient preferred to sleep ipsilateral to the affected ear and other position group including all positions other than lying lateral to the affected side after treatment. We analyzed the change in the sleep pattern after treatment and compared the recurrence rate between the two groups. RESULTS: Our study included 244 patients with posterior canal BPPV (PC-BPPV) and 216 patients with horizontal canal BPPV (HC-BPPV). Statistically significant correlation was demonstrated between sleep position side and the affected side by BPPV. The number of patients who slept on the affected side by BPPV decreased, while the number of patients who slept on the healthy side increased significantly after treatment. There was no statistically significant difference in the recurrence rate between the two groups. CONCLUSION: There was significant correlation between the sleep position side and the affected side in PC-BPPV and HC-BPPV. The patient had a tendency to avoid lying lateral to the affected side by BPPV during sleep after treatment, however the change in sleep position did not influence the recurrence rate of BPPV.