It’s not fun when you’re unable to sleep at night. And when it happens on a regular basis, it’s particularly vexing. You lie awake tossing and turning, looking at the time over and over, 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 compound, negatively impacting your overall health.
And the health of your hearing, not surprisingly, is part of your general health. That’s right, insomnia can have an impact on your ability to hear. Though the relationship between hearing loss and insomnia might not be a cause-and-effect situation, there’s still a connection there.
Can lack of sleep impact your hearing?
What could the connection between hearing loss and sleep be? According to substantial research, your cardiovascular system can be influenced by insomnia over a long period of time. Without the nightly restorative 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 mental states, they’re physiological states, too.
So, how does hearing loss play into that? There are little hairs inside of your ears called stereocilia. These delicate hairs vibrate when sound takes place 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. These hairs can, in some cases, be permanently damaged. Damage of this type is permanent. This can cause permanent hearing loss, especially the longer it continues.
Does it also work the other way around?
Is it possible for hearing loss to cause you to lose sleep? Yes, it can! Many individuals favor a little background noise when they try to sleep and hearing loss can make your environment very quiet. For individuals in this group, that amount of silence can make it really hard to get a quality night’s sleep. Another way that hearing loss may cost you some sleep is if you find yourself anxious about losing your hearing.
If you have hearing loss, what can you do to get a good night’s sleep? Wearing your hearing aids every day can help minimize stress on your brain at night (when you’re not wearing them). Following other sleep-health tips can also help.
How to get a quality night’s sleep
- Get some 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.
- For at least 2 hours before bed, try to abstain from liquids: Needing to get up and go to the bathroom can begin the “wake up” process in your brain. So, sleeping through the night is much better.
- Quit drinking caffeine after midday: Even if you drink decaf, it still has enough caffeine to give you problems sleeping. This includes soda as well.
- Avoid drinking alcohol before you go to bed: Your existing sleep cycle will be disturbed by drinking alcohol before bed.
- Find ways to alleviate stress: It might not be possible to remove every stressor from your life, but giving yourself time to de-stress is crucial. Do something relaxing before you go to bed.
- Avoid screens for at least 60 minutes before going to bed: (Even longer if possible!) Screens have a tendency to stimulate your brain
- Try not to utilize your bedroom for other activities besides sleeping: Your bedroom is for sleeping in, so try to keep it that way. Working in your bedroom is not a great idea.
Be aware of the health of your hearing
Even if you have experienced some insomnia-associated symptoms in the past, and have some hearing loss, your symptoms can still be managed.
Schedule an appointment for a hearing exam today!
