If you have hearing loss, hearing aids help you to interact with the world more easily and be active in conversations. However, wearing them while sleeping isn’t advisable. While occasionally dozing off in a chair with them in is okay, regularly doing so can lead to various issues, as described below.

Why You Shouldn’t Wear Hearing Aids to Sleep

1. Interrupted Sleep

It’s not uncommon for people with hearing loss to experience insomnia. Wearing your hearing devices during the day can minimize anxiety and strain, allowing you to sleep better at night, but wearing them to bed can interfere with your rest. 

Beyond being uncomfortable, the devices can send feedback directly into your ears anytime the sheets or pillows brush against them, waking you up. 

2. Damage to the Device

Hearing devices have sensitive parts that aren’t meant to be jarred or squeezed. If they fall out during the night, they could bounce across the floor, or you could roll over on top of them. Any damage could affect their comfort and fit or create feedback like whistling and crackling. A damaged device may also cause voices and sounds to be muffled or faint.

3. Ear Irritation & Soreness

Hearing aids aren’t usually made of breathable material. If you wear them to sleep, moisture and wax will build up in your ear and could clog the device, interfering with sound clarity. 

Your ears will also become irritated by the constant presence of foreign objects, especially if you sleep on your side with the device pressing into your ear. The result is red, sore skin that will make wearing them during the day uncomfortable.

4. Battery Drain

Leaving them on at night will drain their batteries. You may wake up in the morning with the battery needing to be replaced or recharged, or you may need to do so in the middle of the day, interrupting your plans. Turning them off while you sleep preserves battery life, so they're ready when you need them most.

If your hearing aids are damaged from sleeping in them, Dr. Charlie Palmer at Russellville Hearing Clinic will help. Serving Pope County, AR, with over 20 years of experience, the audiologist and his team will repair your devices, as well as ensure they fit comfortably. If you want to upgrade, they carry many leading brands and models, including ones that connect to your phone. Discover more about their devices online, and call (479) 968-7250 for a consultation.