Music-induced Tinnitus and Sleep Quality: A Study Among Regular Professional Musicians in Indonesia

Background and Objectives: Prolonged noise exposure is musicians’ biggest risk factor for noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL). Tinnitus is an early symptom of NIHL associated with sleep disturbance. Musicians are less concerned about this problem. This study aims to investigate the relationship between tinnitus due to music exposure in the workplace and sleep quality, as well as the factors associated with tinnitus occurrence and sleep quality in musicians. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in several indoor live music cafes in Jakarta. Data were analyzed using chi-square and logistic regression analyses. The respondents were regular professional musicians who fulfilled the criteria. Tinnitus was measured using the tinnitus handicap index (THI), and sleep quality was measured using the Pittsburgh sleep quality index (PSQI), both in the Indonesian version. The noise measurements were performed using a sound level meter. The factors analyzed were the number of weekly practice hours, daily working hours, and average noise experienced. Results: A total of 63 musicians were recruited. Most musicians had very mild and mild degrees of tinnitus. No significant relationship was observed between the degree of tinnitus and musicians’ sleep quality (P=1.00); however, a significant relationship was observed between the number of working hours per day (P=0.02) and adjusted odds ratio (aOR) 0.38 (0.16-0.86) and musicians’ sleep quality. Conclusion: No significant relationship was observed between the degree of tinnitus and sleep quality in musicians. The number of hours of practice per week and working hours per day affected musicians’ sleep quality.