Not having enough sleep can have a detrimental effect on your health and vitality. There’s an unpleasant feeling to getting up groggy because you got less than seven to eight hours sleep that even several cups of coffee can’t help. So you were aghast when your hearing loss started to cause you to lose sleep.
And that’s understandable. Fortunately, there’s a little something that can help: a hearing aid. Based on the most recent surveys and research, these tiny devices can most likely help you sleep sounder.
How is Sleep Impacted by Hearing Loss?
Recently, you’ve noticed yourself counting sheep more than usual, fighting fatigue all day no matter how much sleep you get, and then having a difficult time falling asleep at night (even though you’re exhausted). All of these issues started about the same time you also began to notice that your radio, television, and mobile phone were becoming hard to hear.
It’s not your imagination come to find. It’s well documented that individuals who have loss of hearing often have a hard time falling asleep, but exactly why is not well recognized. There are, naturally, a handful of theories:
- Your brain, when you have loss of hearing, strains to get stimulus where there isn’t any. Your entire cycle could be thrown off if your brain is working overtime attempting to hear (It’s the typical issue of not being able to get the brain to turn off).
- Tinnitus can cause you to hear ringing, thumping, and humming and that noise can cause you to lose sleep. (Lack of sleep can also cause your tinnitus to get worse, which then can cause stronger insomnia, it’s a vicious cycle).
- Loss of hearing is connected to depression, and depression can result in chemical imbalances in the brain that interrupt your sleep cycle. This makes it harder to fall asleep and stay asleep.
Can Hearing Aids Improve Your Sleep?
According to one study, 44% of people with hearing loss who don’t use hearing aids reported being satisfied with their sleep in comparison to 59% sleep satisfaction from those who did wear a hearing aid. So are hearing aids a sleep aid or what?
Not exactly. If your hearing is completely normal, using hearing aids won’t cure your insomnia.
But if you suffer from hearing loss related insomnia, hearing aids may help in numerous crucial ways:
- Strain: Your hearing aids will essentially diminish the demand on your brain. And your brain will be less likely to strain while sleeping if it isn’t struggling all of the rest of the time.
- Tinnitus: Hearing aids could be a practical treatment for that ringing or buzzing, depending on the nature of your tinnitus. This can help stop that vicious cycle and help you get to sleep.
- Isolation: Your less likely to feel isolated and depressed if you can hook up with people in your social network when you’re out and about. Hearing aids make maintaining relationships easier (sleep cycle issues that cause “cabin fever” can also be lessened).
Wearing Hearing Aids to Achieve a Better Quality Sleep
In terms of sleep, the amount of hours is not the only consideration. To be sure that your sleep can be actually rejuvenating, it’s important that you obtain a targeted degree to your z’s. Hearing aids can improve your ability to achieve a restful nights sleep because hearing loss without hearing aids can reduce deep sleep.
Wearing your hearing aids on the suggested daytime schedule will improve your sleep but it’s significant to mention that hearing aids aren’t generally intended to be worn while you sleep. They aren’t going to help you hear better when you’re sleeping (you won’t be able to hear your alarm clock more clearly, for instance). And your hearing aids can actually wear out faster if you wear them at night. You get better sleep if you wear them during the day.
Go to Bed!
Getting a good night’s sleep is a precious thing. Your immune system, your stress levels, and your ability to think clearly will all be helped by sufficient sleep. A decreased risk of diabetes and heart disease have also been linked to balanced sleep habits.
When your sleep schedule is disturbed by your hearing loss, the problem becomes more than irritating, insomnia can frequently result in serious health concerns. Thankfully, most surveys document that people who use hearing aids have improved quality of sleep.