At first, sleeping with headphones may seem a bit strange. Isn’t something you would only do on accident? It’s like falling asleep with your glasses on isn’t it?
Well, it can be. On the other hand, there are some benefits to sleeping with your phones on. As long as you follow some basic rules that is. You certainly don’t want to cause damage to your hearing, or wake up with painful ears. The key is learning how to sleep with headphones in a way that is safe and comfortable.
First The Risks of Sleeping With Your Headphones
We can’t deny it. There are a few risks that you assume when you decide to wear your headphones while you sleep. Just remember that these are pretty small, and they are largely avoidable. Still, it’s good to know. So here we go:
Otitis Externa
This is an irritation of your outer ear canal. This mostly happens to people who wear the kind of headphones that can block the ear canals. The biggest concern here is if the irritation leads to infection. This would need to be treated with antibiotics or other medication.
Now the good news. You can nearly eliminate this risk. Just avoid wearing ear bud style headphones to bed, and engage in basic hygiene by cleaning your ears and wiping down your headphones. If you start to feel some irritation, take a night or two off.
Ear Wax Buildup
Another small risk is that irritation could cause an excess production of earwax. While this is uncomfortable and a bit bothersome. It’s not really dangerous, unless so much builds up that it causes pressure or temporary hearing difficulties. Still, this is the kind of problem that should be quite noticeable before it needs serious intervention. Again, good hygiene and awareness is key. So is avoiding ear buds.
Excess Volume
Is it bad to sleep with headphones on? When most people ask this question, their primary concern is noise exposure and hearing damage. This is a valid concern, and people must understand what is and isn’t safe. First and foremost, that means …