How Sleep and Hearing Loss Are Linked

 

The connection between sleep and hearing loss is defined in many different ways. A sleep deficit is debilitating for anyone who suffers in this department, as it can affect all aspects of your day and cognitive function. Insomnia in particular is seen regularly in people with deafness or hearing impairments. However, the link between the two is still a matter of ongoing research where development is needed for the narrative to be accurate and comprehensive. The article below explores what has been established and how the two conditions intertwine with what is already known.

What is Hearing Loss?

Hearing loss is a wide spectrum of conditions. It could be as severe as complete deafness and range all the way to a slight loss in hearing abilities. It is vital to seek the correct professional assistance if you are experiencing difficulties differentiating between sounds like consonants, speech appears muffled or you notice yourself having to turn up the television, asking people to repeat themselves more often, or even avoiding conversation because it’s just easier. When you first notice these symptoms, keep track of what’s happening with a written record, so you have evidence if you end up needing an audiologist appointment. This will aid the assessment to go more smoothly.

The Positive Impact of Hearing Aids

A hearing aid specialist will be properly equipped to find you the best solution for addressing your concerns and issues. Hearing aids are a common solution to tackle hearing loss issues and are highly adaptable to daily life. These can be worn at night as well and come in specific formats to ensure optimal comfort and safety. Hearing aids assist the ears by fine-tuning frequencies and amplifying noises to aid general auditory processes.

How Tinnitus Plays a Part

Tinnitus is a different condition entirely but still linked to a depletion in hearing capacity. This condition is known by the phantom sounds you might be hearing, like ringing or another high-pitched whirring. It can be annoying and interfere with sleep as well. Not only can tinnitus affect sleep patterns, but other insomnia factors also make tinnitus worse too. Therefore, the two are intertwined closely in derogatory patterns.

Is There a Cure for Tinnitus?

Not in so many words. The cure for tinnitus does not explicitly exist. This is known as a lifelong condition. There are ways to alleviate the physical symptoms. If you are diagnosed with tinnitus, the focus will be on managing your symptoms and how they manifest for you personally. While this may be less than ideal news, learning how to manage physical health conditions is a natural part of aging that everyone must go through.

The Sleep Factors

So, how does sleep tie into it all? Firstly, ensuring that your body gets a proper rest in the form of a full night’s sleep is essential for basic physical functions and for nurturing mental well-being as well.

Elevated Stress Levels

Stress is a definite factor, specifically the anxiety and raised stress levels that come organically as a result of declining hearing ability. When you feel stressed, it will be harder to both fall asleep and stay asleep for the night because your cortisol levels are raised, and therefore, your mind is racing and whirring. It can also affect heart rate and temperature and raise agitation levels too, all of which interfere with resting.

Frequent Wake Ups

Deaf people and those that suffer from tinnitus may experience more frequent wakings during the night. Therefore, their pattern is naturally disturbed and they will wake feeling less than recouped for the day ahead. It is not entirely sure why this pattern exists, but the most recent studies reveal a correlation nonetheless in this respect.

Possible Positive Effects

However, there has been other research that shows those that fit the profile of hearing loss might experience a better night’s sleep than others that don’t. This tends to be because there are no audible disturbances to cause the body to wake up through the night, so everything is more peaceful in that context.

The Effects of Insomnia on the Physical Self

Insomnia is characterized by issues with falling asleep, staying asleep, and being awake when the body needs to rest. It affects many functions in the body that consequently deplete hearing abilities.

Blood Pressure

A lack of sleep or even a general deficit is linked to high blood pressure readings among many individuals. These problems are often temporary and will resolve themselves if and when blood pressure medication starts to do its job to neutralize levels. High blood pressure puts pressure on the vessels in the ear which causes inflammation and also depletion of function in essential organs.

Circulation

Insomnia sometimes also leads to poor circulation or a decrease in the ability of the body to circulate blood as needed. This is a definite influential factor in hearing loss and will affect the ears negatively.

The Effects of Sleep Apnea on the Ears

Unlike insomnia, sleep apnea is more specifically linked to breathing patterns during sleeping hours. These factors create a ripple effect of general exhaustion for the person suffering from the condition because their breathing is causing their sleep to be interrupted during crucial moments. This can often go undetected for long periods, but if you suspect sleep apnea is a problem in your life – seek help immediately!

Inflammation

Sleep apnea has been linked in some cases to inflammation in the body and inner ear. This, of course, affects hearing negatively because the ear is working harder and there is inflammation to work around for processing auditory inputs.

Sleep And Cognitive Function

A sleep deficit also leads to cognitive impairment. What this means for hearing loss is that your ability to concentrate on anything is lessened when your body has not had enough rest. This means you won’t be able to stay on track with conversations because your mind will be too tired to think properly in any capacity. Lack of sleep definitely contributes to these negative effects and can even become unmanageable if not addressed. It is known as brain fog and is a very real, very detrimental condition that many people suffer from when their sleep isn’t what it should be.

Conclusion

Sleep and hearing loss seems to be linked in several ways. There are relevant factors regarding insomnia having a negative impact on the physical capacity of the body, therefore affecting ear health and leading to impaired auditory functions. Tinnitus also works both ways in this context by making it harder to get to sleep and stay asleep and is exacerbated by a lack of sleep in a vicious cycle. Hearing aids will help, and there are holistic approaches to aid tinnitus symptoms too, which are worth exploring.

If you feel chronically tired during the day, call the Alaska Sleep Clinic to speak with our Board-certified Sleep Specialists. Improve Your Sleep. Improve Your Life.