Sleepless nights aren’t any fun. And when it happens frequnetly, it’s particularly vexing. You lie awake tossing and turning, looking at the time again and again, and worrying about how tired you will be tomorrow. When these types of sleepless nights persistently happen, medical professionals tend to use the label “insomnia”. Over time, the effects of chronic insomnia will compound, negatively impacting your overall health.
And the health of your hearing, not unexpectedly, is part of your general health. That’s right, insomnia can have an affect on your ability to hear. Though the relationship between hearing loss and insomnia may not be a cause-and-effect scenario, there’s still a link there.
Can lack of sleep impact your hearing?
How could loss of sleep possibly impact your hearing? According to significant research, your cardiovascular system can be affected by insomnia over a long period of time. Without the nightly recuperative power of sleep, it’s harder for your blood to get everywhere it needs to be.
Insomnia also means an increase in stress and anxiety. Being stressed and anxious are not only states of mind, they’re physiological states, as well.
So, how does hearing loss play into that? Your ears work because they’re filled with delicate little hairs known as stereocilia. When sound waves vibrate these tiny hairs, signals are sent to your brain which translates these signals into sound.
These little hairs have a difficult time remaining healthy when there are circulatory issues. In some instances, poor circulation can damage these hairs, permanently. Damage of this type is permanent. This can lead to permanent hearing loss, especially the longer it continues.
Is the reverse true?
Is it possible for hearing loss to make you lose sleep? It’s absolutely possible. Hearing loss can make the environment very quiet, and some people like a little bit of noise when they try to sleep. For people in this category, that amount of silence can make it really difficult to get a good night’s sleep. Any kind of hearing loss stress (for instance, if you’re stressed about losing your hearing) can have a similar effect.
If you have hearing loss, what can you do to get a quality night’s sleep? Stress on your brain can be reduced by wearing your hearing aids every day because you won’t be wearing them while you sleep. It can also help if you implement some other sleep-health tips.
Some guidelines for a good night’s sleep
- Avoid drinking alcohol before you go to bed: Your existing sleep cycle will be disrupted by drinking alcohol before bed.
- For at least a couple of hours before you go to bed, try to abstain from liquids: Each time you need to get up and go to the bathroom, you initiate the wake up process. So, sleeping through the night is better.
- 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.
- Try to de-stress as much as you can: It may not be possible to remove every stressor from your life, but giving yourself time to unwind is essential. Do something relaxing before bed.
- Don’t drink caffeine after midday.: Even if you drink decaf, it still has enough caffeine to give you difficulty sleeping. This includes soda also.
- Keep your bedroom for sleeping (mostly): Try to limit the amount of things you use your bedroom for. Working in your bedroom isn’t a very good plan.
- Avoid screens for at least 1 hour before bed: (Really, the longer the better.) Screens have a tendency to activate your brain
Be aware of the health of your hearing
Even if you’ve experienced some insomnia-related symptoms before, and have some hearing loss, your symptoms can still be controlled.
If you’re concerned about your hearing, make an appointment with us today.