Why REM Sleep Might Matter for Your Balance
If you regularly wake through the night and struggle to fall back asleep, you might not think to connect it to your balance. But it’s a pattern we’ve noticed often enough in clinic to be worth talking about.
What Is Maintenance Insomnia?
Maintenance insomnia is different from simply having trouble falling asleep at the start of the night. It’s characterised by waking part-way through the night — often repeatedly — and finding it hard to drift back off. It can leave you feeling unrefreshed even after a full night in bed, since the sleep you do get is broken up rather than continuous.
Why REM Sleep Is Energy-Intensive
REM sleep — the stage most associated with dreaming — is a particularly active, energy-demanding phase of the sleep cycle. As Trevor explains: “We know REM sleep is a very important, very energy-demanding sleep.” When something interrupts the body’s ability to meet that energy demand, it can affect how well this stage of sleep is sustained, which may be part of why energy production comes up in conversations about sleep quality.
An Interesting Correlation We’ve Noticed
In clinical experience, maintenance insomnia and balance-related symptoms seem to show up together more often than you’d expect by chance. The vestibular (balance) system is itself quite energy-dependent, so there’s a reasonable hypothesis that when cellular energy production is under strain, both REM sleep and vestibular regulation could be affected around the same time. It’s worth being clear that this is an observed clinical pattern rather than an established, proven cause-and-effect relationship — it’s an area we think is worth paying attention to, not a confirmed mechanism.
Why This Might Matter If You Have Both
If you’re dealing with both disrupted sleep and balance-related symptoms, it may be worth mentioning both to your practitioner rather than treating them as unrelated issues. Looking at the two together, rather than addressing each in isolation, can sometimes give a more complete picture of what’s going on.
How We Approach This at Spinewise
Our assessments start with a detailed history that includes sleep patterns alongside balance-related symptoms, followed by functional testing where relevant. This helps us understand whether there might be a broader pattern worth exploring, rather than looking at either issue in isolation.
When to Get It Checked
If you’re dealing with maintenance insomnia, balance-related symptoms, or both, it’s worth having a thorough assessment rather than assuming the two are unconnected. Our Maidstone clinic can help build a clearer picture of what may be contributing. You can book online or call us on (03) 9318 7758.
Frequently Asked Questions
It’s not clear-cut, and the relationship isn’t fully established. What we’ve noticed is that the two often show up together, which is why it’s worth mentioning both rather than treating them as unrelated.
Maintenance insomnia specifically involves waking during the night and struggling to fall back asleep, rather than difficulty falling asleep initially.
No referral is needed. You can book directly with our team, and we recommend bringing any relevant reports to your first visit.
About the Author
Dr Trevor Chetcuti, B.Chiro.Sc, B.App.Sc (Clin), DIBAK, CNET
Dr Trevor Chetcuti is Clinical Director at Spinewise in Maidstone, holding dual degrees in Chiropractic and Clinical Science from RMIT University and a Teaching Diplomate in Applied Kinesiology through the International College of Applied Kinesiology (ICAK). He is chairman of ICAK International’s Board of Research and Standards and has spent over 20 years helping patients work through complex health, neurological and pain-related concerns.