It’s no fun when you can’t sleep at night. And when it occurs frequnetly, it’s especially vexing. You toss and turn and maybe stare at the clock (or your phone) and stress about just how fatigued you’ll be the next day. Medical professionals call this sort of persistent sleeplessness “insomnia”. Over time, the effects of chronic insomnia will add up, negatively impacting your general health.
And the health of your hearing, not surprisingly, is part of your overall health. That’s correct, insomnia can have an affect on your ability to hear. Though the relationship between hearing loss and insomnia might not be a cause-and-effect scenario, there’s still a connection there.
Can lack of sleep affect your hearing?
What could the relationship between hearing loss and sleep be? There’s a substantial amount of research that indicates insomnia, over time, can affect your cardiovascular system. Without the nightly recuperative power of sleep, it’s harder for your blood to get everywhere it needs to be.
Anxiety and stress also increase when you have insomnia. Being stressed and anxious aren’t only states of mind, they’re physiological states, also.
So, how does hearing loss play into that? Your ears work because they’re filled with fragile little hairs called stereocilia. These delicate hairs vibrate when sound takes place and the information gets sent to your brain, which then translates those vibrations into sounds.
These little hairs have a difficult time remaining healthy when there are circulatory issues. These hairs can, in some instances, be permanently damaged. Damage of this kind is permanent. Permanent hearing loss can be the outcome, and the longer the circulation issues continue, the more significant the damage will be.
Is the reverse true?
If insomnia can impact your hearing health, can hearing loss stop you from sleeping? Yes, it can! Hearing loss can make the environment very quiet, and some people like a little bit of noise when they sleep. For individuals in this category, that amount of quiet can make it really hard to get a quality night’s sleep. Any amount of hearing loss stress (for instance, if you’re stressed about losing your hearing) can have a similar impact.
If you have hearing loss, what can you do to get a quality night’s sleep? Stress on your brain can be decreased 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 be helpful.
How to get a quality night’s sleep
- Try not to utilize your bedroom for other activities besides sleeping: Try to minimize the amount of things you utilize your bedroom for. Working in your bedroom isn’t a very good idea.
- Refrain from using alcohol before you go to bed: Your existing sleep cycle will be interrupted by drinking alcohol before bed.
- For at least 2 hours before you go to bed, try to abstain from liquids: Having to get up and go to the bathroom can initiate the “wake up” process in your brain. So, sleeping through the night is better.
- Don’t drink caffeine after midday.: Even decaf coffee has enough caffeine in it to keep you up at night if you drink at night. Soda also falls into this category.
- Get some exercise regularly: You might go to bed with some extra energy if you don’t get enough exercise. Getting enough exercise every day can be really helpful.
- For at least an hour, avoid looking at screens: (Actually, the longer the better.) Screens tend to stimulate your brain
- Find ways to relieve stress: Get away from work and do something relaxing before bed.
Pay attention to the health of your hearing
You can still control your symptoms even if you have hearing loss along with some insomnia.
Schedule an appointment for a hearing test today!
