Not having enough sleep can have a detrimental impact on your health and vitality. There’s a disagreeable 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 loss of hearing started to cause you to lose sleep.
Justifiably so. Fortunately, there’s a little something that can help: a hearing aid. According to the newest surveys and research, these tiny devices can most likely help you sleep better.
How Does Hearing Loss Affect Sleep?
Even though you feel fatigued all day and are completely drained by bedtime, you still toss and turn and have a difficult time falling asleep. All of these issues started around the same time you also started to notice that your radio, television, and mobile phone were becoming difficult to hear.
It’s not your imagination come to find. There is a well-documented connection between hearing loss and insomnia, even if the exact sources aren’t completely clear. Some theories have been put forward:
- Tinnitus can make you hear ringing, thumping, and humming and that noise can cause you to lose sleep. (It can become a vicious cycle because loss of sleep can worsen your tinnitus symptoms).
- Loss of hearing is connected to depression, and depression can cause chemical imbalances in the brain that disturb your sleep cycle. This makes it harder to fall asleep and stay asleep.
- As you develop hearing loss, your brain begins straining, it’s looking for stimulus from your ears where none exists. Your whole cycle could be thrown off if your brain is working overtime trying to hear (it’s that “my brain won’t shut off” problem).
Can Hearing Aids Help Your Sleep?
According to one study, 44% of people with loss of hearing who don’t wear hearing aids documented being satisfied with their sleep compared to 59% sleep satisfaction among those who did use a hearing aid. So are hearing aids a sleep aid or what?
Not exactly. If your hearing is totally normal, wearing hearing aids isn’t going to cure your insomnia.
But if you are suffering from hearing loss, your hearing aids can target several problems that could be worsening your insomnia:
- Strain: The damage on your brain will effectively diminished by wearing hearing aids. And when your brain isn’t continuously straining to hear everything around you, it won’t be as likely to continue that practice while you’re trying to sleep.
- Tinnitus: Dependent on the nature and cause of your tinnitus, hearing aids may provide an effective method of managing that buzzing and ringing. This can help you get to sleep by stopping that vicious cycle.
- Isolation: If you’re out on the town, hooking up with the people in your social sphere, you’re not as likely to feel depressed and isolated. Hearing aids make retaining relationships easier (sleep cycle issues that result in “cabin fever” can also be decreased).
Getting Better Night Sleep Using Hearing Aids
In terms of sleep, the amount of hours isn’t the only thing to consider. How deep you sleep is as essential as how many hours you sleep. Hearing aids can enhance your ability to get a restful nights sleep because hearing loss without hearing aids can prevent deep sleep.
It’s relevant to note that while they’ll help better your sleep, the majority of hearing aids are not supposed to be worn overnight. When you’re sleeping they aren’t going to help your hearing (for instance, you won’t hear your alarm clock better). And, over time, using your hearing aids at night can decrease their efficiency. You get better sleep if you use them during the day.
Go to Bed!
Sleep is precious. Ample sleep can keep your immune system in good condition, reduce stress levels, and help you think more clearly. Balanced sleep habits have even been connected to lower risks for diabetes and heart disease.
When your loss of hearing begins to disrupt your sleep schedule, it’s not only a small irritation, insomnia can often become a serious health problem. Thankfully, people document having better quality sleep when they use hearing aids.
