Sleepless nights are no fun. And when it happens frequnetly, it’s particularly vexing. You toss and turn and maybe stare at the clock (or your phone) and worry about just how exhausted you’ll be the next day. Medical professionals call this type of persistent sleeplessness “insomnia”. Over time, the effects of persistent insomnia will add up, negatively impacting your general health.
And, perhaps not surprisingly, “your overall health” includes the health of your hearing. Yup, your hearing can be negatively impacted by insomnia! This isn’t generally a cause-and-effect relationship, but that doesn’t mean there’s no connection between hearing loss and insomnia.
Can your hearing be affected by lack of sleep?
What could the relationship between hearing loss and sleep be? According to substantial research, your cardiovascular system can be affected by insomnia over a long period of time. Without the nightly regenerative power of sleep, it’s more difficult for your blood to get everywhere it needs to be.
Insomnia also means an increase in stress and anxiety. Being stressed and anxious are not only states of mind, they’re physiological states, too.
So, how does hearing loss play into that? Your ears work because they’re filled with fragile little hairs called stereocilia. These fragile hairs vibrate when sound occurs and the information gets transmitted to your brain, which then converts those vibrations into sounds.
When your circulatory system is not functioning correctly, these hairs have a hard time thriving. These hairs can, in some cases, be permanently damaged. And once that takes place, your hearing will be permanently damaged. Permanent hearing loss can be the consequences, and the longer the circulation problems continue, the worse the damage will be.
Is the opposite true?
If insomnia can affect your hearing health, can hearing loss stop you from getting a good night’s sleep? It’s definitely possible. Hearing loss can make the world very quiet, and some people like a little bit of sound when they try to sleep. For people in this category, that amount of quiet can make it very hard to get a quality night’s sleep. Any kind of hearing loss anxiety (for example, if you’re worried about losing your hearing) can have a similar effect.
If you have hearing loss, what can you do to get a good night’s sleep? Stress on your brain can be reduced by wearing your hearing aids during the day because you won’t be wearing them at night. Adhering to other sleep-health tips can also help.
Some recommendations for a good night’s sleep
- Try to de-stress as much as you can: It might not be possible to get rid of every stressor from your life, but giving yourself time to de-stress is essential. Do something relaxing before bed.
- Don’t drink caffeine after midday.: Even if you drink decaf, it still has enough caffeine to give you difficulty sleeping. This includes soda also.
- Try to avoid drinking liquids a couple of hours before bed: Having to get up and go to the bathroom can start the “wake up” process in your brain. It’s much better to sleep right through the night.
- Exercise regularly: You may go to bed with some excess energy if you don’t get enough exercise. Getting enough exercise every day will be really helpful.
- Avoid using alcohol before you go to bed: Your existing sleep cycle will be disturbed by drinking alcohol before bed.
- For at least an hour, abstain from looking at screens: (Actually, the longer the better.) Screens have a tendency to activate your brain
- Maintain your bedroom for sleeping (mostly): Your bedroom is for sleeping in, so try to maintain that habit. For example, don’t do work in your bedroom.
Be aware of the health of your hearing
You can still manage your symptoms even if you have hearing loss along with some insomnia.
Schedule an appointment for a hearing exam today!
