SCIENCE & RESEARCH NEWS
Exploring Insomnia in People With Tinnitus Summary by John A. Coverstone, AuD
When tinnitus is bothersome, it can often interfere with sleep. At the same time, providers specializing in tinnitus recognize that getting sleep is an important part of any treatment for tinnitus. When we don’t sleep well, our ability to control reactions to stimuli is impaired, as is our tolerance for unwanted stimuli. Lack of sleep can create a vicious cycle in which tinnitus prevents good sleep and lack of sleep worsens tinnitus symptoms. Researchers in the United Kingdom performed a retrospective study to examine aspects of insomnia in patients with tinnitus and hyperacusis.1 Data were gathered from 444 patients with tinnitus or hyperacusis seen at a specialist center in the U.K. National Health Service from 2013 to 2016. Patients were selected if they completed audiological examination and questionnaires for insomnia, tinnitus and/or hyperacusis, and anxiety and depression.
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Analysis indicated that 70 percent of patients had some form of insomnia: 30 percent had mild insomnia, 28 percent had moderate insomnia, and 18 percent had severe insomnia. Analysis of data indicated a significant association of tinnitus and insomnia. Insomnia was also associated with anxiety and depression. Patients having tinnitus and hyperacusis tended to have more severe sleep problems than those with tinnitus alone. This is consistent with prior studies reporting higher rates of insomnia among people with sound tolerance problems. However, further analysis of this relationship indicated that hyperacusis itself is a poor predictor of insomnia. In further analysis, the data showed correlations between insomnia and tinnitus annoyance and between insomnia and tinnitus handicap, as well as for anxiety and depression. Tinnitus
loudness was not a good predictor of sleep problems. This may be due to the subjective loudness of tinnitus being a smaller factor in its effects on people than is tinnitus annoyance, anxiety, or depression. The effect of tinnitus on the individual’s life was also not a good predictor of insomnia, nor was hearing acuity, age, or gender. More research is needed to further explore some of these relationships. Defining the aspects of tinnitus that may contribute to insomnia can only help clinicians develop better plans of treatment to help patients with bothersome tinnitus. Reference 1 Aazh, H., Baguley, D., & Moore, B. (2019, April 22). Factors related to insomnia in adult patients with tinnitus and/or hyperacusis: An exploratory analysis. Journal of the American Academy of Audiology. doi:10.3766/jaaa.18020
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