Getting quality sleep is essential to your overall health. Many factors can get in the way of enjoying a good night’s sleep, ranging from sleep disorders to drinking one too many cups of coffee at Culture Café. Research has shown that hearing loss may affect your sleep as well.
Research Links Hearing Loss to Insomnia
A study published in 2011 administered hearing tests to 298 participants who had been exposed to harmful noises at work. These same participants also answered questions about their quality of sleep. Researchers found that both tinnitus and hearing loss contributed to greater levels of insomnia than those without hearing problems.
How Hearing Loss Affects Sleep
There are several reasons why hearing loss can negatively affect your sleep quality, including:
- Stress. Hearing loss can cause higher levels of stress and anxiety. You may be frustrated because your hearing is making it harder to communicate at work or at home. You may also feel anxious about your hearing loss getting worse.
- Depression. Hearing loss has also been linked to higher levels of depression, which has been known to affect a person’s sleep cycle and contribute to insomnia.
- Brain overworked. When you struggle to hear, your brain has to work harder to process speech and other sounds. If your brain is working too hard trying to hear while you are trying to wind down for the evening, it may disrupt your sleep.
- Tinnitus. People with hearing loss also commonly experience tinnitus. Tinnitus is often described as a ringing in the ear. However, some people experience a buzzing, whooshing or another type of sound. These phantom sounds can be distracting and keep you up at night.
Can Hearing Aids Help You Sleep?
While it might sound odd, if you have hearing loss, hearing aids may have the ability to help improve your sleep. This isn’t because of anything they do while you’re sleeping (hearing aids should be taken out and stored in a cool, dry place at night.) It’s because they can help address the issues that may be contributing to your insomnia.
Using hearing aids may:
- Reduce stress and lower levels of anxiety and depression
- Put less strain on your brain by making it easier to process sounds
- Help manage tinnitus symptoms in some individuals
If you feel like hearing loss is affecting your ability to get quality sleep, call the experts at Hampton Roads ENT ~ Allergy and schedule an appointment for a hearing test today.