Sleeping With Earbuds: Impact on Health

21^st century, the age of technological progress. Every day, most of people wear something with wires or wireless. Watches, earphones, earbuds, and many others. But, we don’t limit ourselves only to daytime wearing. There are people, who are sleeping with earbuds on.

I guess you would probably like to know whether it is good or bad for your health. Undoubtedly, there are pros and cons for earbuds. So, here is the question, sleeping with earbuds bad for your health or not? Let’s find out!

Is It Bad to Sleep with Earbuds In?

Is it bad to sleep with earbuds in? Well, this is a question that I’m sure many people would want an answer to, especially for those who rely on soothing sleep sounds, ambient noise, or white noise to fall asleep to.

The thing about sleeping with earbuds is that, yes, it can be a great accessory in helping you to block out noises and to sleep peacefully at night but at the same time, it can be damaging for your ears if used incorrectly.

What are the risks and side-effects you might ask? Let’s discuss about them in the next section:

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Risks of Sleeping With Earbuds

1. Ear Wax Accumulation

If you are wearing earbuds that sit a little more deeply in your ear, you might risk developing a buildup of earwax in your ears. This is because the earbuds will block the air circulation around your ear, causing the wax to be more easily pressed into your eardrum. If a lot of earwax builds up over time, it might be difficult to remove it without causing damage to your ears [1].

2. Otitis Externa

Otitis externa, also known as swimmer’s ear, is a condition in which the external ear canal becomes irritated and inflamed. In the worst-case scenario, the skin around your ear canal area may slowly wear out and cause fluid to get into the ear, resulting in pain to the outer ear [2].

The ear canal is important as it connects the outer ear to the eardrum. This condition is common among swimmers but can also happen in people who constantly wear headphones and earbuds. Therefore, you will have to be cautious while wearing them to sleep. 

3. Necrosis

If your earbuds do not fit well, they will exert pressure on the skin inside your ear canal. In-earbuds may exert excessive pressure on the skin, leading to discomfort and irritation. Over time, this persistent pressure can result in the gradual wearing away of the skin, creating a potential pathway for complications [1].

One significant concern is the occurrence of necrosis, which refers to the death of tissue. When the skin experiences prolonged pressure and insufficient circulation, the cells may become deprived of essential nutrients and oxygen, leading to tissue damage and, in severe cases, necrosis.

4. Not being able to respond to emergencies well

If you are wearing headphones that have music or any noise-canceling earbuds, then you face a safety risk of failing to hear an alarm going off in the middle of the night. This can have catastrophic results, especially during emergencies. In emergency situations, a timely response is paramount, and alarms serve as vital auditory cues to alert individuals to potential dangers. When using headphones or noise-canceling earbuds, there’s a heightened likelihood of these alarms being muffled or entirely unheard.

5. Hearing loss from listening to music

If you’re sleeping with headphones on, you could accidentally turn the volume up. Listening to loud music for too long can cause permanent damage to your ears.

Most headphones have a maximum volume of 85 to 110 decibels. The US Occupational Safety and Health Administration says listening to sound that’s 85 decibels and up over an eight-hour period is too loud.

It’s equivalent to the loudness of lawnmowers and leaf blowers and can cause hearing loss if the listener doesn’t have hearing protection.

For headphones, it’s best to keep the volume at 60%. Listening to anything louder than that can lead to hearing problems in the future.

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Benefits of Sleeping With Earphones On

So, as we may see, there are a lot of risks that we can face. Nevertheless, there are some benefits, too.

Helps to block out noise

Sleeping with earphones on can be beneficial in helping you to block out all loud external noises such as the sound of people chatting or traffic sounds, if you live close to one, provided that they come with active noise cancellation.

You might still hear noises that are disruptive to sleep if you are using regular earphones that don’t block or cancel noise. Thus, it is best to go for one with good sound quality and good noise masking.

Provides good stress relief

Listening to music with sleep earbuds is also a way to stimulate serotonin production and cultivate a sense of calm and quietness, which is great for relieving stress and anxiety levels. When you’re in such a pleasant mood, falling asleep and staying asleep becomes much easier.

Tips on Using Earbuds for Sleeping

If you’ve made the decision to try using earbuds for sleep, here are helpful tips on how to use them effectively so that you do not risk getting ear pain or ear infections:

1. Adjust your sleeping position: If you’re using earbuds for both ears, try to avoid sleeping on the side as the pressure against your ear may cause discomfort. If you’re naturally a side sleeper, consider getting earbuds of a smaller size so that it will not interfere with your sleep quality.
2. Keep it at an appropriate volume level: When using the earphones to play soothing sounds for sleep, you want to ensure that you are only keeping it to a 60% volume or lower. Listening to loud volume for long periods of time can potentially lead to a lifetime hearing loss, so be careful about it [3].
3. Clean your earbuds regularly: If you’re going to be using it at night frequently, you want to ensure that you are also cleaning it frequently to prevent bacteria or dirt buildup. Bacteria and dirt accumulation can cause ear infections to occur.
4. Choose the right earbuds: Keep in mind that you should choose earbuds that are designed for sleep. These earbuds tend to be small and soft, ensuring comfort throughout the night.
5. Pay close attention to any discomfort or irritation: Ensure that you are also regularly monitoring for any signs of discomfort or irritation. If you start feeling pain in your ear, it’s best to discontinue its use and speak to your doctor for an alternative solution to help you sleep better.

Best Sleep Headphones Recommendations

Here are also some of the best sleep headphones that we also recommend taking a look at, to help you form a better decision on whether you should sleep with earbuds or skip it:

Ozlo Sleepbuds

The Ozlo Sleepbuds are possibly one of the best sleep headphones that we highly recommend. These earbuds mask noise so that you are able to sleep like a baby the entire night, for up to 10 hours. Best part is that you can use it to listen to your favorite tunes, podcasts, or pair it with an app with relaxing sleep sounds like ShutEye®.

Check out our full review here: 5 Best Sleep Headphones For Sleeping

Soundcore by Anker Sleep A10 Headphones

The Soundcore by Anker Sleep A10 Headphones is possibly one of the best sleep headphones out there in the market. It’s designed to be slim and lightweight such that you won’t feel bothered when you are using it to sleep at night. The best part about it is that it has a noise-blocking feature for the best sleep experience.

Check out our full review here: 5 Best Sleep Headphones For Sleeping

Conclusion

Therefore, sleeping with earbuds in can be beneficial if you struggle to fall asleep by yourself. However, it’s also important for you to take note of the risks that come with improper use, such as the buildup of earwax and bacteria, swimmer’s ear, and potential necrosis.

The safest way to fall asleep naturally, if you need sounds to help you fall asleep, is still to use the ShutEye® app. ShutEye® is not just an app that helps you to track sleep, but it also offers a wide selection of soothing sleep sounds from white noise, nature sounds, to soothing lullabies. Try it for FREE now!

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