It’s no fun when you can’t sleep at night. And when it occurs on a regular basis, it’s particularly vexing. You lie awake tossing and turning, looking at the time again and again, and stressing about how exhausted you will be tomorrow. Medical professionals call this kind of persistent sleeplessness “insomnia”. Over time, the effects of persistent insomnia will add up, negatively impacting your overall health.
And, perhaps not surprisingly, “your general health” includes the health of your hearing. Yup, your hearing can be negatively impacted by insomnia! Though the relationship between hearing loss and insomnia might not be a cause-and-effect scenario, there’s still a link there.
Can your hearing be affected by lack of sleep?
How could loss of sleep possibly affect your hearing? According to significant research, your cardiovascular system can be affected by insomnia over a long period of time. It becomes more difficult for your blood to flow into all of the extremities of your body when you don’t get the regenerative power of a good night’s sleep.
Anxiety and stress also increase with insomnia. Being stressed and anxious aren’t only mental states, they’re physiological states, also.
So, how does hearing loss play into that? Your ears work because they’re filled with fragile little hairs known as stereocilia. These delicate hairs vibrate when sound takes place and the information gets transmitted to your brain, which then translates those vibrations into sounds.
These little hairs have a difficult time staying healthy when there are circulatory problems. These hairs can, in some instances, be irreversibly damaged. And once that takes place, your hearing will be permanently damaged. This can result in permanent hearing loss, especially the longer it continues.
Does it also work the other way around?
If insomnia can impact your hearing health, can hearing loss stop you from sleeping? It’s definitely possible. Hearing loss can make the world very quiet, and some individuals like a little bit of sound when they sleep. For individuals in this category, that amount of silence can make it really difficult to get a quality night’s sleep. Any amount of hearing loss stress (for example, 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 every day because you won’t be wearing them while you sleep. It can also be helpful if you implement some other sleep-health tips.
How to get a quality night’s sleep
- Try not to use your bedroom for other activities besides sleeping: Your bedroom is for sleeping in, so try to keep it that way. For example, don’t do work in your bedroom.
- For at least a couple of hours before you go to bed, try to abstain from liquids: Needing to get up and go to the bathroom can initiate the “wake up” process in your brain. It’s better to sleep right through the night.
- Avoid screens for at least 60 minutes before bed: (Actually, the longer the better.) Screens have a tendency to activate your brain
- Quit drinking caffeine after noon: Even if you drink decaf, it still has enough caffeine to give you problems sleeping. Soda also fits into this category.
- Try to de-stress as much as you can: Get away from work and do something soothing before bed.
- Avoid using alcohol before you go to bed: This will simply interrupt your existing sleep cycle.
- Get some exercise regularly: You might go to bed with some extra energy if you don’t get enough exercise. Being active every day can be helpful.
Take care of your hearing health
You can still manage your symptoms even if you have hearing loss along with some insomnia.
Schedule an appointment for a hearing exam today!