Sleepless nights are no fun. Especially when it happens regularly. You toss and turn and maybe stare at the clock (or your phone) and stress about just how exhausted you’ll be the next day. When these types of sleepless nights routinely happen, medical professionals tend to use the term “insomnia”. Over time, the effects of persistent insomnia will add up, negatively impacting your overall health.
And the health of your hearing, not surprisingly, is part of your overall health. Yup, your hearing can be negatively impacted by insomnia! Though the relationship between hearing loss and insomnia may 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 impact your hearing? According to considerable research, your cardiovascular system can be impacted by insomnia over a long time period. 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 anxiety and stress. Being stressed and anxious are not only mental states, they’re physiological states, too.
So how is that connected to hearing loss? Your ears work because they’re filled with delicate little hairs known as stereocilia. These delicate hairs vibrate when sound happens and the information gets sent to your brain, which then converts those vibrations into sounds.
When your circulatory system isn’t working properly, these hairs have a hard time remaining healthy. In some circumstances, poor circulation can damage these hairs, permanently. Damage of this type is permanent. This can lead to permanent hearing loss, especially the longer it persists.
Does it also work the other way around?
Is it possible for hearing loss to make you lose sleep? It’s absolutely possible. Many individuals prefer a little background noise when they try to sleep and hearing loss can make the world very quiet. This means that the quiet of hearing loss can in some cases prevent normal sleeping. Another way that hearing loss might cost you some sleep is if you find yourself anxious about losing your hearing.
So how do you get a quality night’s sleep with hearing loss? Wearing your hearing aids during the day can help minimize stress on your brain at night (when you aren’t wearing them). It can also help if you implement some other sleep-health tips.
Some tips for a good night’s sleep
- Avoid screens for at least 1 hour before going to bed: (Actually, the longer the better.) Screens tend to activate your brain
- Find ways to alleviate stress: Get away from work and do something relaxing 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 start the “wake up” process in your brain. So, sleeping through the night is better.
- Exercise regularly: You could go to bed with some excess energy if you don’t get enough exercise. Being active every day can help.
- Don’t drink caffeine after lunch.: Even if you drink decaf, it still has enough caffeine to give you trouble sleeping. This includes soda also.
- Before you go to bed, avoid drinking alcohol: This will simply disrupt your natural sleep cycle.
- Try not to use your bedroom for other activities other than sleeping: Your bedroom is for sleeping in, so try to maintain that habit. For example, don’t work in your bedroom.
Care for your hearing health
You can still manage your symptoms even if you have hearing loss along with some insomnia.
Make an appointment for a hearing exam today!