Hearing Issues and Sleep Problems – Are They Related?
Did you know that there is a connection between hearing issues and sleep difficulties? When a person is experiencing hearing loss or tinnitus, it can negatively affect sleep. Sleep is essential to a person’s well-being; it provides the opportunity for the body and mind to rest and reset. When sleep is disrupted continuously, it can begin to affect a person’s health negatively.
According to the Sleep Help website,
Understanding the exact nature of this relationship can be challenging because of the complexity of sleep and the fact that other issues can contribute to sleeping problems.
Hearing Loss, Tinnitus, and Their Affect on Sleep
There are many underlying reasons why people develop hearing loss or tinnitus, and according to the Sleep Help website, “hearing loss often occurs with aging, which also poses numerous challenges for good sleep.” There have been numerous studies completed on the loss of sleep and hearing loss combined with aging, but there is no definitive answer.
Other issues, such as constant exposure to loud noises, can be the underlying cause of hearing loss, tinnitus, and loss of sleep. Having tinnitus can make it troublesome to fall asleep, wake up too early, wake during the night, and feel tired during the day. People that suffer from tinnitus often have difficulty sleeping, and “studies have found that 60% or more of people with tinnitus report sleep disruptions.” Tinnitus can also cause anxiety and depression, and both of those conditions can affect sleep.
Sleep and its Effect on Hearing Loss and Tinnitus
When a person consistently has difficulty sleeping, it can lead to sleep deprivation. The Sleep Help website states that “several studies have found a connection between poor sleep and hearing impairment.” During these studies, significant hearing impairment was associated with people who also suffer from insomnia as well as a noisy work environment. In other studies, “a similar association with a correlation between insomnia and reduced hearing at low frequencies.” There is no definitive answer on why sleep affects hearing loss and tinnitus, but one theory that a reduction in sleep causes oxidative stress, which is linked to cell damage in the inner ear. People who suffer from tinnitus often hear sounds louder while they are trying to sleep, which then causes insomnia.
For more details about how sleep and hearing can affect each other, read the full article on the Sleep Help website.
If you have difficulty sleeping and hearing issues, then make an appointment to discuss them with the hearing professionals at Sound Hearing Care. Call us today at 864-881-1663 and visit one of our four locations at Simpsonville, Greer, Travelers Rest, and Greenville.