Not getting enough sleep can have a harmful impact on your health and vitality. If you don’t get a complete, relaxing seven to eight hours of sleep, you wake up groggy and cranky, an undesirable feeling that takes several cups of coffee to stave off. So you were aghast when your hearing loss started making you lose sleep.
And that’s justifiable. But there’s something that can be of assistance, thankfully: a hearing aid. It’s feasible that these little devices can help you get a better night sleep, according to recent surveys.
How is Sleep Impacted by Loss of Hearing?
Recently, you’ve noticed yourself counting sheep more than usual, dealing with fatigue all day no matter how much sleep you get, and then having a hard time falling asleep at night (despite your exhaustion). All of these issues began around the same time you also started to notice that your mobile phone, radio, and television were becoming hard to hear.
It’s not your imagination as it turns out. There is a well-documented relationship between hearing loss and insomnia, even if the precise sources aren’t completely clear. There are, of course, a couple of theories:
- Loss of hearing is related to depression, and your sleep cycle can be interrupted by chemical imbalances caused by depression. This makes it harder to fall asleep and stay asleep.
- Your brain, when you have hearing loss, strains to get stimulus that isn’t there. 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 stop).
- Tinnitus can make you hear thumping, humming, and ringing and that noise can cause you to lose sleep. (Lack of sleep can also cause your tinnitus to get worse, which can then cause stronger insomnia, it’s a vicious cycle).
Can Hearing Aids Help Your Sleep?
According to one study, 59% of individuals who were hearing aid users described feeling fulfilled with their sleep, compared to a 44% satisfaction rate in people who don’t wear hearing aids. So are hearing aids a sleep aid or what?
Not really. If you don’t have loss of hearing, a hearing aid can’t cure insomnia.
But if you are suffering from loss of hearing, your hearing aids can manage a number of concerns that may be contributing to your insomnia:
- Strain: The burden on your brain will essentially lessened by using hearing aids. And your brain will be less likely to strain while sleeping if it isn’t straining all of the rest of the time.
- Isolation: Your less likely to feel depressed and isolated if you can hook up with people in your social circle when you’re out on the town. Relationships get less difficult with hearing aids (sleep cycle issues that cause “cabin fever” can also be decreased).
- Tinnitus: Hearing aids might be a practical treatment for that ringing or buzzing, depending on the nature of your tinnitus. This can help you get to sleep by short circuiting that vicious cycle.
Achieving a Better Night Sleep Using Hearing Aids
When it comes to sleep, the amount of hours is not the only thing to consider. To be sure that your sleep can be truly rejuvenating, you need to obtain a certain degree to your z’s. Hearing aids can improve your ability to get a restful nights sleep because loss of hearing without hearing aids can reduce deep sleep.
it should be mentioned that while they’ll help improve your sleep, the majority of hearing aids are not supposed to be worn at night. When you’re sleeping they won’t help your hearing (for instance, you won’t hear your alarm clock better). And, after a while, wearing your hearing aids at night can diminish their performance. You get deeper 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 benefited by ample sleep. Proper sleep habits have even been linked to reduced risks for heart disease and diabetes.
When your sleep schedule is disrupted by your loss of hearing, the issue becomes more than irritating, insomnia can frequently lead to serious health concerns. Thankfully, people document having better quality sleep when they use hearing aids.