Tinnitus Is Connected to Sleep
5 hours ago
- #tinnitus
- #sleep-disorders
- #neuroscience
- Tinnitus is a subjective sound like ringing, hissing, or buzzing, heard only by the affected individual.
- Neuroscientists at the University of Oxford suggest a close link between sleep and tinnitus in the brain.
- Tinnitus affects about 15% of the global population, with no known cause or cure.
- Deep sleep (non-REM) may suppress brain activity linked to tinnitus, as seen in ferret studies.
- Ferrets with severe tinnitus showed disrupted sleep and overly responsive brain activity to sound.
- Deep sleep might temporarily mask tinnitus effects by engaging the same brain circuits.
- Research indicates a potential vicious cycle between poor sleep and worsening tinnitus.
- Stress is a strong factor in worsening tinnitus and may even trigger its onset.
- Future studies aim to explore sleep as a therapeutic target for tinnitus treatment.