Should You Sleep with Hearing Aids? Night Time Guide

Many hearing aid users wonder whether they should keep their hearing aids in while sleeping. The short answer is no, you should generally remove your hearing aids before going to bed. However, there are specific situations where wearing them at night may be considered, and understanding the reasons behind this recommendation will help you make the best decision for your circumstances.

Why You Should Remove Hearing Aids at Night

Ear Health

Your ear canal needs time to air out. Wearing a hearing aid all day creates a warm, moist environment inside the ear canal. Giving your ears 6-8 hours of rest overnight allows the skin to dry out and reduces the risk of fungal and bacterial infections that thrive in moist conditions.

Device Longevity

Sleeping with hearing aids increases the risk of physical damage. Rolling onto a BTE hearing aid can crack the housing, bend the hook, or damage the tubing. Pillow pressure on CIC devices can push them too deep into the ear canal or damage delicate components.

Feedback and Discomfort

Pressing a hearing aid against a pillow often causes feedback whistling, which can disturb your sleep and your partner's sleep. The pressure from lying on your side also pushes the hearing aid into an unnatural position, causing discomfort.

Battery Conservation

Removing hearing aids and opening the battery door overnight conserves battery life. For disposable batteries, this can extend their life by 1-2 days. For rechargeable models, nighttime is the ideal time to charge your devices so they are ready for a full day of use.

When You Might Keep Hearing Aids In

There are a few situations where wearing hearing aids during sleep might be considered:

• Safety Concerns: If you live alone and need to hear smoke alarms, intruder alerts, or other safety sounds while sleeping. However, specialized alerting devices with vibrating or flashing signals are usually a better solution.
• Tinnitus Management: Some hearing aids have tinnitus masking features that help users fall asleep. In this case, you might wear them until you fall asleep and remove them later, or use a timer function if available.
• Brief Naps: Short naps of 30-60 minutes are generally fine with hearing aids in, as the exposure time is minimal.

Proper Nighttime Hearing Aid Storage

How you store your hearing aids overnight matters just as much as removing them. Follow these best practices:

• Open the Battery Door: This stops battery drain and allows air circulation to dry out any moisture inside the device.
• Use a Dehumidifier: Place hearing aids in a hearing aid dry box or dehumidifier case. This is especially important in Pakistan's humid climate and during monsoon season.
• Safe Location: Keep them in a consistent, safe place away from children, pets, and table edges where they could fall.
• Charge Rechargeables: If you have rechargeable hearing aids, place them in the charging case every night. A full charge takes about 3-4 hours and provides 18-24 hours of use.

Nighttime Hearing Solutions

If you need to hear important sounds while sleeping, consider these alternatives to wearing hearing aids all night:

• Vibrating Alarm Clocks: These shake your pillow or bed to wake you up, requiring no hearing ability.
• Flashing Light Alerts: Smoke alarms and doorbells with strobe light attachments ensure safety without needing to hear.
• Smartphone Alerts: Many smart home devices can send vibrating notifications to smartwatches worn during sleep.

Your hearing aids are a significant investment, and proper nighttime care helps them last longer and perform better. If you have specific concerns about nighttime hearing or tinnitus management, our audiologists can recommend personalized solutions based on your needs.