Brief spinning when turning in bed or tilting your head may fit benign paroxysmal positional vertigo, or BPPV. In Swedish this is called kristallsjuka or godartad lägesyrsel. The pattern is a clue, but assessment is needed to identify the cause and suitable treatment.
What is typical of positional vertigo?
In BPPV, small crystals in the inner ear become displaced. A particular head movement can trigger a brief, intense spinning sensation. It usually settles when the head is still and can return with the same movement.
Describe the duration of the spinning itself, separately from lingering unsteadiness. Mention new hearing changes, headache or other symptoms too. Not every form of dizziness made worse by movement is BPPV.
Notes for your assessment
| Observation | Example |
|---|---|
| Trigger | Turning right in bed, looking upwards or sitting up. |
| Duration | Seconds, minutes or continuous dizziness? |
| Between attacks | Back to normal, nauseated or still very unsteady? |
| Other changes | Hearing, headache, sensation, strength or speech. |
Why not choose an online exercise immediately?
Different manoeuvres suit different sides and positions. A doctor or physiotherapist with positional-vertigo expertise should first establish the diagnosis and choose the manoeuvre, even if you have had BPPV before. Ask for written instructions for your situation.
Ask what to do if treatment causes severe nausea, you have neck problems or the exercise does not help. Trying many manoeuvres without follow-up makes the response harder to assess.
Choosing the right care in Sweden
Contact a vårdcentral, a primary care centre, or an out-of-hours clinic for new position-triggered vertigo. Seek more urgent assessment for repeated vomiting or inability to manage safely because you may fall.
Call 112 for dizziness with new speech difficulty, one-sided weakness, facial weakness, severe breathlessness or chest pain. Do not assume this is BPPV. Call 1177 if you are uncertain how urgently to seek help.
What needs follow-up?
Agree how treatment success will be assessed and when to return. Report any change in the symptom pattern; an earlier diagnosis does not automatically explain every new episode.
Sources and further reading
- 1177: Kristallsjuka – godartad lägesyrsel (in Swedish)
- 1177: Semonts manöver, höger och vänster (in Swedish)
- 1177: Yrsel (in Swedish)
Sources and links checked on 22 October 2026. Editorial team: Hagakliniken. General information; individual assessment may differ.