Sleeping with AirPods, is it safe to wear them to sleep?

Sleeping with Air Pods may be soothing or relaxing for some people as it can help them sleep faster and more deeply (also check 10 mattresses with great comfort). However, some health risks come with it, which can be dangerous too. This includes building-up ear wax, hearing problems, infections, ear pain, and even brain functioning issues. In addition, 7-8 hours of sleep while using air pods; can stop the earwax from leaking naturally, causing all these issues. Air pods’ quality significantly affects all these risk factors.

We hope the study below will highlight some risks to understand them better.

Why People Choose to Sleep with Headphones?

People with ringing in their ears called “Tinnitus” tend to sleep with headphones on. Emotional stress is the leading cause of these ringing in the ear. Therefore, using headphones helps to stop their ear ringing to some extent so that they can focus on their sleep better without disruptions.

Do You Get Deep Sleep with Airpods?

Yes, some people may find it relaxing to sleep faster and deeper with the ear pods on. This can be due to issues or problems with their health that help them attain better sleep through music or podcasts etc., listening.

Not everyone may find it the same as it may turn otherwise for them. To say that, in general, people get deep sleep with ear pods would not be true at all.

Can Earbuds Cause Bacterial Infections?

Your earbuds can cause bacterial infections if firmly put too deep inside the ears. They become the leading cause of sweating, dirt, and bacteria which causes different infections and even loss of hearing. The main issue arises when you start using them excessively; otherwise, average usage isn’t that dangerous for your health.

Pros of Sleeping with Airpods

Sleeping with AirPods, however, does have some perks as well.

Some AirPods come with noise isolation, preventing outside noise traffic from interfering with your music or listening. This ultimately gives you an edge at your goal of using them.

Primarily, this even helps attain a better relaxing sleep for those who have trouble going to sleep. Since this soothing music helps to promote good sleep, it will ultimately boost your brain functionality, and many health issues are linked to it.

Risks Of Sleeping with Airpods

Wax Buildup

Besides carrying bacteria and dirt, a danger is building up wax inside your ears. With excessive use of earbuds, the frequent necessity of cleaning your ears can be highly annoying, which causes this wax build-up. This may even lead to hearing or other ear problems if you do not take care at the right stage.

Swimmer’s Ears

Swimmer’s ears are a bacterial infection in the ears mainly due to the water staying in the outer ear canal part for long. It creates a moist environment that helps bacteria grow in the ear’s outer parts. AirPods, mainly in summers, leave sweaty water with outside dust, thus promoting this issue in the ears.

Necrosis

For this, the quality and manufacturing of your Airpods play a crucial role. If they are not a good quality material and do not fit you properly, this may damage your outer ear canal skin part, leading to Necrosis. It even causes the blood to flow in small amounts, which may lead to any injury or trauma by killing your skin cells.

Disrupt Sleep

Constant sound in the ears, regardless of the level of the volume, can cause to disrupt your sleep. You may be able to attain sleep with Airpods on, but it will not make you reach the state of relaxation that you require for healthy sleep. Consequently, it can lead to weariness and drowsiness and ultimately bad health if you continue using it for long periods.

Airpods Block Out External Noise

Many versions of the Air pods can block external noise. With this technology in new Air Pods, you would be unable to hear anything from outside. This is relaxing and soothing for some people, allowing them to concentrate more on their work, especially in places where noise pollution is higher. However, this will prevent air passage in the ear and create sweatiness and moisture, leading to bacteria or various infections.

Chances Of Infections

The chances of infection through Air pods are always present, but it depends upon different factors. For example, if you continue to use ear-tight Air pods throughout the night, it can cause further infections through swimmers’ ears.

Even Air pods, when you share with other people frequently, can cause various conditions through germs and bacteria from one person to another.

Ear Pain

Listening to Air Pods frequently and for long can cause skin infections, itchiness, and even ear pain. This habit is uncomfortable and can damage your ear’s health if you use them continuously. Other factors like dust and moisture also play a role in ear pains due to Air pods.

Lose Them in Your Bed

A good night’s sleep requires silence and comfort, which cannot be possible with any ear device for shorter or longer periods. Therefore, you should avoid using Air pods during bedtime as they can lead to various health risks.

They may help attain a night’s sleep but will damage ears and cause infections and other ear health problems. Therefore, you must avoid it at max, especially during bedtime.

Battery Malfunction

Most AirPods are made up of lithium-ion batteries that are dangerous for human health. Continuous use may cause these batteries to catch fire as they are of different metals, toxic materials, and chemicals that contain flammable electrolytes. It can seriously damage the skin, ears, and even brain or head injury. Further, it can even lead to a shorter life span of the Air pod battery.

Best Practices to Sleep with Airpods On

Low Volume

You need to avoid using Air pods during night sleep. However, if you want to sleep with them on, keep the volume low. The higher volume intake through your ears will create serious noise pollution and ultimately damage them internally. Doing so will prevent any internal ear injury and help to attain more deep sleep.

Sleep On Your Back

Sleeping on your back or stomach is the best position with air pods in your ear (also check 10 amazing mattresses for stomach sleepers). These sleeping positions will prevent the AirPods from falling off now and then to give uninterrupted enjoyment. This way, air pods will not cause discomfort while resting or sleeping.

Wash Your Ears Every Morning

Doctors strongly advise you to wash your ears every morning if you use the AirPods for longer or every night during sleep. Thorough disinfection cleaning of your ears would also work best as this will wash the ears from dust and germs and remove any infection by different bacteria

Side Sleeping with Airpods – What to Do?

Side sleepers may face some issues with the usage of AirPods while sleeping. Although, the best position to sleep with air pods is the back or stomach side. Still, if side sleeping is necessary, take precautionary steps to avoid any discomfort or accident.

For some people, side sleeping may lead to minor neck stiffness due to uncomfortable sleep (check the top rated mattresses for side sleeper).

Use A Soft Pillow

A soft pillow will help sleep with Air pods on as this will keep your body and head aligned, and AirPods will not fall off the ears like this. It may even help to sleep faster due to the better upper body support and comfort.

However, a soft pillow might not work best for side sleepers as your head can get pressed within a soft pillow (also check 10 most comfortable pillows). The sound balance will disturb you with a higher volume level in the ear, causing discomfort and interruption.

Ear Blood Flow

Side sleepers who use Air pods while sleeping may even suffer from low blood flow supply when using a pillow. This will press your head against them deeply and disrupt your upper body alignment leading to a possible lousy blood flow ratio between skull and brain.

Therefore, for side sleepers, change the position if you need to use AirPods while sleeping; otherwise, removing a pillow may help keep upper body parts straight for better blood flow throughout the body.

Key Takeaways on Sleeping with AirPods

Is It Safe to Sleep with AirPods?

Sleeping with AirPods can be calming for some, assisting in faster and deeper sleep. Extended use, especially during sleeping hours, can lead to earwax buildup, hearing issues, infections, ear pain, and potential impacts on brain functionality. The quality of the AirPods can significantly influence the associated risks.

Why People Opt for Nightly AirPods Use

Many who experience “Tinnitus,” a ringing in the ears often caused by emotional stress, find relief from the ringing by using headphones, thus aiding their sleep.

Pros & Cons of Sleeping with AirPods

Benefits: Noise isolation in some AirPod models can block out external disruptions, aiding in a deeper and more relaxing sleep.

Drawbacks: Extended use can lead to wax buildup, swimmer’s ears, necrosis, disrupted sleep patterns, and potential infections. There’s also the risk of losing them in the bed and potential battery malfunctions.

Recommendations for Those Insistent on Sleeping with AirPods

Keep the volume low to minimize potential damage. Opt for back or stomach sleeping positions to ensure comfort and reduce the chances of the AirPods falling out. Make a routine of cleaning your ears daily to reduce the risk of infections. Side sleepers should take extra precautions to avoid discomfort or potential harm.

Conclusion:

Sleeping with Air Pods, especially among teenagers, is becoming more popular. Some people have benefits associated with this activity, but that should not be done regularly. We have studied above that many health risks are associated with your headphone or air pod usage throughout the night while sleeping.

A study shows that, on average, a person should limit his Air pods or other ear device usage to around 60-90 minutes daily. Therefore, the daily use of these devices should be kept in check with strict monitoring. Your health should be taken care of with their ongoing use.