Sleep disorders in patients with chronic tinnitus

Tinnitus has a lifetime prevalence of 25 % in Germany. A common comorbidity in chronic cases are sleep disorders. The aims of this study were to detect sleep disorders and to identify possible associations with tinnitus parameters. Fifty patients with chronic tinnitus were recruited. The patients underwent audiometry, polysomnography, and completed standardised questionnaires on tinnitus and sleep behaviour. Data were available in 30 men and 9 women (age 50.2 +/- 11 y, BMI 28.8 +/- 4.4 kg/m (2)). The median duration of tinnitus was 36 (9; 120) months with a severity score of 2.00 (1.00; 3.00). The mean Tinnitus Questionnaire (TF) score was 43.6 +/- 17.1, the Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS) score was 8.41 +/- 4.27, the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) score was 9.21 +/- 4.32, and the Screening Scale for Chronic Stress (SSCS) score was 58.13 +/- 9.58. Sleep diagnoses included 18 cases of insomnia, 4 cases of RLS, and 11 cases of OSA. Patients with sleep comorbidities showed higher tinnitus severity, PSQI scores, and body weight compared to those without sleep disorders. Worse sleep quality was associated with higher tinnitus severity (p = 0.038) and more disruptive tinnitus (p = 0.03). Patients with subjectively highly disruptive tinnitus reported higher chronic stress scores. Tinnitus duration was correlated with OSA-severity (p = 0.026).