Sleeping with cochlear implants

[Timfully]

I have one cochlear implant (CI), and am considering getting a second one. Currently, I take off my CI when I go to bed, relying on my limited hearing in my other ear to alert me of ny emergencies during the night. Hearing in that ear is declining, however. If I switch to 2 implants, I may not be able to hear anything if both devices are not available. My ENT, however, has noted that some recipients leave a CI on while they sleep. Has anyone tried to do this, and done so successfully? Thanks

[Mary Beth]

I believe @Jared Charney told us he wears a CI while he sleeps.

I remove both.  I have alerting devices for emergencies.

[Timfully]

Thanks, Mary Beth. What kind of alerting devices do you use?

 

[Mary Beth]

I have a smoke alarm that sends an alert to a transmitter on the night table which is attached to a vibrating disc under the mattress.  I also have a Fitbit which vibrates on my wrist to whichever sound recognition alerts on my iPhone I select.

[Michael S]

@Mary Beth

 

Does anyone use an Apple Watch as a sleep alert device? Can an Apple Watch vibrate like a Fitbit?

[Mary Beth]

Yes many people do use Apple Watches 

[Jared Charney]

I typically put my Rondo 3 to help me relax and distract me from my tinnitus but I typically take it off right before I fall to sleep. I find it eases my mind and helps a lot. One of the many reasons I love having two processors, etc.

[Anthony Canada]

I rely on my Apple watch. At night mine vibrates for text from certain people, phone calls and alarms. The rest of my normal daytime notifications are silenced at night. 

[NathalieM]

I personally can't sleep with my CIs in (or hearing aids in earlier years) and find that taking them off help me relax and go into deeper sleep mode, which helps with overall sleep quality.

I use Apple Watch to wake me up and set the Haptic alert to "Prominent" - it adds an additional haptic tap to the alerts. I used to have FitBit to wake me up then switched to Apple Watch & love it. Like Anthony, I get notifications from some people (family), alarms, etc. It's very customizable to your needs.

[John F]

Aren’t you supposed to not sleep with your CIs on to give both your brain and skin a break?

[Dave in Pittsburgh]

Agree

[Leslie05]

On 10/21/2024 at 4:28 AM, John F said:

Aren’t you supposed to not sleep with your CIs on to give both your brain and skin a break?

I've heard the same but I imagine that you can choose times of day with your sleeping processor to take it off to charge it or to give your skin a break. Myself, I prefer my processor off when I sleep -- and have been known to push it off my head if I forget to take it off before a nap.