Relationship Between Chronicity and Severity of Tinnitus and Sleep-Related Issues

Abstract

Objectives Growing evidence suggests a potential link between tinnitus and sleep-related disturbances. This study aimed to explore this association in a large-scale population-based data. Study Design Cross-sectional study. Setting The 6,951 subjects with data on demographics, sleep patterns, sleep-related symptoms, and otologic assessments were selected from the eighth and ninth Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (2019, 2020, and 2022), a database representing the general population. Main Outcomes Measures Subjects were classified into tinnitus and nontinnitus groups, with the tinnitus group subdivided by chronicity (acute/chronic) and severity (mild/severe), and their association with sleep issues was analyzed. Results The chronic tinnitus group had shorter sleep durations (weekdays, p < 0.001; weekends, p < 0.001) and higher proportions of sleep deprivation (weekdays, p = 0.001; weekends, p < 0.001), fatigue (p < 0.001), and witnessed obstructive sleep apnea (p = 0.026) compared to the nontinnitus group. They also exhibited shorter sleep duration (p = 0.027) and more sleep deprivation (p = 0.025) on weekends than the acute tinnitus group. The severe tinnitus group showed shorter sleep durations (weekdays, p = 0.004; weekends, p < 0.001), more sleep deprivation (weekdays, p = 0.025; weekends, p = 0.001), and higher levels of fatigue (p = 0.001) compared to the nontinnitus group, as well as more fatigue than the mild tinnitus group (p = 0.001). Conclusion The chronicity and severity of tinnitus were significantly associated with sleep problems. Chronic and severe tinnitus are strongly associated with sleep disturbances, emphasizing the need for targeted management.