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 worrying about how tired you will be tomorrow. When these types of sleepless nights routinely happen, medical professionals tend to use the label “insomnia”. Over time, the effects of persistent insomnia will add up, negatively impacting your general health.
And, maybe not surprisingly, “your overall health” includes the health of your hearing. That’s right, insomnia can have an affect on your ability to hear. This isn’t exactly a cause-and-effect relationship, but that doesn’t mean there’s no link between hearing loss and insomnia.
Can lack of sleep impact your hearing?
What could the relationship between hearing loss and sleep be? According to substantial 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 anxiety and stress. Feeling stressed and anxious will affect you in physiological ways as well as mentally.
So how is that related to hearing loss? Your ears work because they’re filled with fragile little hairs called stereocilia. When sound waves vibrate these little 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. These hairs can, in some instances, be permanently damaged. Damage of this kind is permanent. Permanent hearing loss can be the outcome, and the longer the circulation problems continue, the more significant the damage will be.
Is the reverse true?
Is it possible for hearing loss to cause you to lose sleep? It’s certainly possible. Hearing loss can make the environment really quiet, and some individuals like a little bit of sound when they try to sleep. For individuals in this category, that amount of silence can make it really difficult to get a good night’s sleep. Any amount of hearing loss stress (for instance, if you’re stressed about losing your hearing) can have a similar effect.
So how can you get a quality night’s sleep with hearing loss? 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 follow some other sleep-health tips.
How to get a good night’s sleep
- Get some exercise regularly: Your body needs to keep moving, and if you aren’t moving, you might end up going to bed with some extra energy. Getting enough exercise daily can really be helpful.
- Avoid drinking liquids a couple of hours before bed: Having to get up and go to the bathroom can begin the “wake up” process in your brain. It’s much better to sleep right through the night.
- Don’t drink caffeine after lunch.: Even if you drink decaf, it still has enough caffeine to give you problems sleeping. This includes soda as well.
- Steer clear of screens for at least an hour before bed: (Actually, the longer the better.) Screens have a tendency to activate your brain
- Keep your bedroom for sleeping (mostly): Try to limit the amount of things you utilize your bedroom for. Working in your bedroom is not a very good idea.
- Before bed, refrain from drinking alcohol: This will simply disrupt your natural sleep cycle.
- Find ways to alleviate stress: Get away from work and do something relaxing before bed.
Pay attention to the health of your hearing
Even if you have experienced some insomnia-associated symptoms before, and have some hearing loss, your symptoms can still be controlled.
Schedule an appointment for a hearing exam today!