Sleep is valuable. There’s a disagreeable feeling to waking up groggy because you got less than seven to eight hours sleep that even several cups of coffee can’t change. So you were aghast when your hearing loss started to cause you to lose sleep.

Understandably so. Fortunately, there’s a little something that can be of assistance: a hearing aid. According to the newest surveys and research, these small devices can most likely help you sleep better.

How Does Hearing Loss Impact Sleep?

Despite the fact that you feel tired all day and are completely drained by bedtime, you still toss and turn and have a hard time falling asleep. All of these problems began about the same time you also started to notice that your radio, television, and mobile phone were becoming hard to hear.

Come to find out, you’re not imagining things. It’s well documented that individuals who have hearing loss often have a difficult time falling asleep, but exactly why is not well recognized. There are, of course, a couple of theories:

• You can lose sleep because of tinnitus which can cause ringing, thumping, or humming noises in your ears. (It can become a vicious cycle because loss of sleep can make your tinnitus symptoms worse).
• Your brain, when you have hearing loss, strains to get input that isn’t there. If your brain is in high gear trying to hear while you’re trying to sleep, your overall cycle could be disrupted (it’s that “my brain won’t shut off” issue).
• Loss of hearing is connected 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.

Can Hearing Aids Help Your Sleep?

According to one study, 44% of people with loss of hearing who don’t wear hearing aids reported being satisfied with their sleep compared to 59% sleep satisfaction among those who did wear a hearing aid. So does that mean it’s safe to suppose hearing assistance devices are also a kind of sleep aid?

well, not really. If you don’t suffer from loss of hearing, a hearing aid can’t cure insomnia.

But if you have hearing loss related insomnia, hearing aids could help in numerous crucial ways:

• Tinnitus: Hearing aids might be an effective treatment for that ringing or buzzing, depending on the nature of your tinnitus. This can help short circuit that vicious cycle and help you get to sleep.
• Isolation: Your less likely to feel depressed and isolated if you can hook up with people in your social group when you’re out on the town. Hearing aids make maintaining relationships easier (sleep cycle issues that cause “cabin fever” can also be reduced).
• Strain: Your hearing aids will effectively diminish the demand on your brain. And your brain won’t be as likely to strain while sleeping if it isn’t straining all of the rest of the time.

Getting Better Night Sleep With Hearing Aids

When it comes to sleep, how many hours isn’t the only factor to consider. Depth of sleep is as essential as how many hours you sleep. Hearing aids can increase your ability to get a restful nights sleep because loss of hearing without hearing aids can reduce deep sleep.

Using your hearing aids on the suggested daytime schedule will benefit your sleep but it’s worthwhile to note that hearing aids aren’t normally intended to be worn while you sleep. They aren’t going to help you hear better when you’re sleeping (you won’t be capable of hearing your alarm clock better, for example). And, over time, using your hearing aids at night can diminish their performance. It’s wearing them during the day that helps you get deeper sleep.

Go to Bed!

Sleep is precious. Your immune system, your stress levels, and your ability to think clearly will all be enhanced 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 issue becomes more than irritating, insomnia can often become a real health issue. Fortunately, people document having better quality sleep with hearing aids.