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21st 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 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!
Risks When Sleeping With Earbuds On
Let’s start with the most important – our health. If during day time, we can control our devices, night time – we are under control of gadgets. Did you watch the famous series of The Terminator? Machines are not so peaceful as may seem to be. When used appropriately, sleeping with earphones, earbuds or headphones can be safe, and they help you fall asleep more easily. In case of headphones, you have to be careful with the volume of the music so that you don’t put pressure on your ears and damage them over a period of time. With normal earbuds, you have to be conscious of the same and keep in mind that they are not going too deep into your ears. So, what are these risks and side-effects? Let’s find out:
Ear Wax Accumulation
If you are wearing earbuds that sit a little more deeply in your ear, you might risk developing a build-up of ear wax 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 ear wax builds up over time, it might be difficult to remove it without causing damage to your ears. So, sleeping with earbuds on like these is bad for your health. Check the size before use! Try them on well!
Otitis Externa
This is the name given to a condition which involves irritation to your ear canal. Worst case, the skin around your ear canal area will slowly wear out and cause fluid to get into the ear. This will also result in pain in the outer ear. 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.
Necrosis
If your earbuds do not fit well, they will exert pressure on the skin inside your ear canal. lll-fitting 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.
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.
Issues of safety when you wear earbuds
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, 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.
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.
Advantages of Sleeping With Earphones On
So, as we may see, there are lot of risks that we can face. Nevertheless, there are some advantages, too.
People sleep with earbuds to shut out noise
You can use headphones or earbuds to shut out all kinds of noise, like people talking or traffic sounds outside, helping you sleep more peacefully.
You may want to wear headphones to stimulate serotonin
Serotonin is a chemical produced in our brain which makes us feel good. Listening to music we like is a way to stimulate serotonin production and make us feel happy and relaxed. When you’re in such a pleasant mood, falling asleep and staying asleep becomes much easier.
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Alternative Methods to Help You Fall Asleep
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