Tinnitus at Night

Hi everyone,

So I'm nearly at a month with T now! Can't believe it's gone so quickly! I've finally managed to mainly ignore my T throughout the day however nigh times are still a big problem!

I find at the moment the only way I can fall asleep is by watching the tv but then I always seem to wake up again at around 1 or 2 am! And when I wake up at that time my T is always extremely loud! Does anyone else find their T is really loud during the night or seems to wake them up?

The only times I seem to have had a fairly good nights sleep is when I'm sharing a room with someone else! I know this might seem strange but I'm sure that having the presence of someone else there helps with the loneliness and anxiety that the night seems to bring with T!

Any strategies or tips for getting a better nights sleep would be much appreciated! I'm wanting to steer clear of medications at the moment as I usually react quite badly to medications such as sleep aids!

 

Melatonin 6mg, ½ hour before bedtime; can be used long-term, if necessary. I seem to recall that you are a young adult. I believe there are counterindications for young adults. Speak to your physician about it (although he/she may be unaware of the use of Melatonin as a sleeping aid - mine had no clue; but now she does).

Protect your ears with earplugs. All body parts - including nerves - have slight regenerative properties. If you allow your ears to heal by protecting them, your tinnitus will probably improve slightly over time. Be "religious" about protecting your ears - including when using eg. hairdryers (even though this may be seen as "innocent" noise). Put earplugs in when you leave your house. Take them out when you return.

My "first aid" advice.

 

In addition to the TV, how about some repetitive nature sounds, like falling rain? You can get it free or for a buck as an app for your Ipad. And the masking works great. I too wake up every night at right around 4AM, almost without fail for the last week. It's uncanny. But I'm usually able to half from then 'til 7.

But I'm with you, sleeping kind of sucks with T.

 

Is melatonin a prescribed drug?

I've been fairly careful with my ears since my T started, such as not listening to music loudly, especially though headphones but had not thought about using ear plugs! Will definitely take that Into account!

Many thanks

 

Are you serious with the whole earplugs thing? Because I tend to agree with you, and don't see the harm of just popping them in, and just going about your business. But there are others on this board who say don't, you'll get H if you let yourself become too paranoid about loud sounds. But I don't see why that would be the case. Just put them in and don't think about it. I'm not sure why doing that would induce hyperacusis. At least on purely the psychological plane.

 

I am definitely going to try that tonight! It is very uncanny! It's almost exactly the same time every night! I think I get my best sleep from about 5am onwards! Luckily I don't have school this week so I can sleep in late and catch up on missed sleep!

I used to look forward to going to bed and now I hate it!

 

Hey there @Maddy! Congrats on doing so well so quickly

I wouldn't worry too, too much about sleep - though of course it is necessary. Even when I took sleeping pills I would wake up at 3am (every night the same time) - my brain would only shut off from the T in total exhaustion for a few hours at a time. I think once your brain also adjusts to the sound not being a danger, then your sleep will last as it did once before. I am now back to my 12 hour sleep binges You will get back to your normal sleep cycle soon at the rate you're going!

Melatonin isn't a drug, it's a naturally occurring substance in the body that you can buy at the drug store over the counter. However, make sure when you take it you're about an hour away from being ready to go to sleep and are in a dark environment - Melatonin isn't a sleep drug that will knock you out, it is a substance that works with your environment to tell your body its ready for sleep. You can also get extended release which might help with the waking up. Time might end up being the best healer for this though. You can also try medicinal teas with passion flower and kava.

Lastly, I would be careful with the earplugs. My opinion is that you shouldn't use them where you don't need them. If it's a 65 decibel room and you're wearing earplugs then your ears are straining to hear and it's going to make them hyper-sensitive when you take the earplugs out. That's going to make a 70db room (a completely safe level) seem extremely loud. If you don't have Hyperacusis now, then I'm not sure wearing earplugs will cause it, but it definitely known to stop people from getting rid of it if they over-protect. Your ears need and like sound, just not too much. So hyperacusis risks aside, all sound isn't bad, only use ear plugs when you need them and for the rest of the time enjoy our acoustically beautiful and diverse world

Hope you get a looong string of z's soon!

 

It depends on the country whether Melatonin is a prescription drug or not. Melatonin is a (natural) hormone. But using it in young adults can have side effects (I seem to recall). But it is otherwise a (relatively) safe drug. Much better than traditional sleeping tablets.

I generally do not recommend using headphones (at all).

 

I'Ve heard before that when our blood sugar levels drop during sleep that we tend to wake up. Perhaps eating something like a bowl of oatmeal 30 minutes before bed would help... not those kinds that are instantand high in sugar.

 

Hyperacusis - along with tinnitus - is a sign that the auditory system has been damaged. As with tinnitus, there is only way to protect your ears from further damage - and that is by using earplugs. Many audiologists state the opposite when it comes to hyperacusis. But so be it.

 

Hi there!

Thanks so much for such a detailed reply! I have my good and bad moments but I'm slowly and surely adjusting! I feel like at the moment the worrying about not sleeping due to the T is the main thing stopping me from sleeping! I think once I've proved to myself and my mind that I can sleep through the T (as mine is not extremely loud just very annoying!) then I will be be able to get a good nights sleep!

I really do miss having a lovely full nights deep sleep and you don't realise how much you took sleep for granted before you hardly get any!

Thanks for the advice about ear plugs, I think I will stick to just being sensible about the volume of music, the television etc and only wear ear plugs if I'm going somewhere very loud! I do actually really enjoy listening to all the different sounds of our world and find them the best distraction from my T!

 

I have some some cheap 'Hearos' earplugs I got from the music store. Only six dollars. I believe they offer 25 dB protection, or so it says on the package. Would those be good enough for casual use, like at the gym and whatnot?

And how can you tell if you have them inserted properly? Thanks.

 

That's interesting! I think I've heard about that before! Thinking about it actually when I woke up hungry in the night I ate a banana and an hour later it didn't seem so bad!

 

Yes. Good enough.

There are usually instructions on the package. If it is the common foam/silicone type ones, then squeeze them, insert them slowly until they touch the ear drum - but do not force them in. Remember to remove them slowly after use; do not yank them out. If you have inserted them properly, your tinnitus volume should increase, and sounds around you will sound muffled.

 

@attheedgeofscience well these come with a plastic case, appear to made out of rubber, and are shaped like sort of a dart, and while T is a little more audible while wearing them, I don't notice ambient sound becoming muffled. They're not the foamy kind. Are the foam ones the best?

 

Hi there

I read a research report a few weeks ago about the recovery process of structural damage due to noise exposure within the cochlea in mice or rats. What they found is that mice or rats exposed to "usual sounds that we encounter every day" did recover well and those who were not did not recover that well. I guess this might be some of the reason why overprotecting the ears could be a bad thing

 

Maddy try purchasing a little water fall fountain. It puts me to sleep along with the melatonin.

 

Interesting. Well I don't know what to do. I don't even know for sure if my T was caused by noise damage, and since I make it a point to never listen to earphones anymore, and just generally avoid loud sounds as much as is feasible, it feels like I'm being good about it. I wore my earplugs at the movies, which seemed like a good idea, and that's about it other than a few days at the gym, where does it get pretty loud. But not that loud. I've since stopped wearing them at they gym.

Thanks for all the replies, guys.

 

Use whatever you like, is my answer. Over-the-counter earplugs loose their db-rating after continuous use. So you need to continue buying them.

I use 3M earplugs with 33db rating such as these:



Your hearing should become muffled initially, but after a while it becomes natural. Remember to watch out in traffic. You will not be aware of cyclists and pedestrians around you to the same extent. And suddenly you will have created a situation without knowing it.

I do not have anything more to say about earplugs

 

Not really sure what to do either.. I use earplugs now and then as well but trying not to overprotect

 

And just what were our ears intended to be exposed to (from an evolutionary stand-point)?

Traffic noise, car noise, airplane noise, gym noise, bar noise, shopping mall noise, etc.?

or

the sounds of nature...?

Something to think about.

 

Hey @Maddy. I agree with the others about not overprotecting your ears - H causes your ears to hurt when noises occur. Some people have this quite badly. Believe me the T is annoying - but at least it is only a noise. Pain every time you hear a noise is a lot worse. I had a bit of this, such as putting cutlery away - but it comes and goes and doesn't particularly bother me anymore - I don't think it's really there now (fingers crossed).

If you are going in a loud environment, such as loud music at a gym or a club, then definitely take ear plugs. Traffic maybe, though if you are in a car I don't really think it is a problem. ONLY use ear plugs when around loud noise. After all you're not going to get hurt when walking in the countryside, away from roads.

As for sleeping, maybe try masking with nature sounds. Try distracting your mind from it, because from what I've read it's the anxiety that is keeping you up rather than the T. Try remembering all the characters from TV shows or films or books. Television might not be such a great thing as this can keep you awake. Try reading as that is proven to help people fall asleep.

You seem to be doing good. Keep it up. Remember your T cannot kill you. Annoying yes, scary yes - but compared to other things it is hardly the worse problem out there. Keep distracting yourself. It's only been a month and your T could still go. Fingers crossed. Hope you sleep well.

 

That's a totally fair point. Nature, as it were, is usually very quiet. Modern industrial society is not. Heck it seems like my T maybe spikes a bit, simply from the roar of the wind on my bike. And then my ears start to roar a little themselves in return. But of course I can't tell for sure.

 

@citigirl13 One more comment/question, and then I'll shut up and stop hijacking this thread. So you're suggesting that over-protecting your ears causes H? I just don't understand why that would be. Construction guys maybe wear ear plugs all day, and they don't get it do they? I just don't quite understand the mechanism or the thinking.

@Maddy Just wanted to add, you're going to be okay. Once you get your sleeping going better for you, that's half the battle.

 

Hey @Littlebailey. From what I have gathered, over-protecting your ears in normal environments make your ears less use to noise. So when there is a noise people are usually able to deal with, such as some like a plate or cup falling on the floor, seems a lot louder to the ears because the ears have become more use to quiet and less use to noise. Extreme noises can cause pain, right? Like really, really loud sounds? Over-protecting your ears make normal noises seem louder, so that when they happen our ears are unused to that level of noise, which makes the noise seem louder and therefore more painful. This is my theory anyway.

Hope that helps! Let me know if you have any more questions.

 

The report didnt say much about sound levels I think, but the mice or rats that did not recover well was put in a dead silent room from what I remember. So from my understanding, nature sounds and stuff like that could be beneficial. At least something that can stimulate the ears

 

Thats my experience as well I have almost lost my H after pulling out those earplugs, and only use them when the db levels are high..
Like when using electric machinery and so on..

 

@Mr. Cartman So you actually had H? How do you think it started? Same time as your T, or did it come on later after the original onset? I'm not afraid of sounds or anything, but I'm mindful to try to avoid loud noises just as a good practice. Do you think it's psychological or physical? Or both? I certainly don't want to induce it by babying my ears.

Well, I'm truly torn now. I'm going to go ahead and save my eaplugs for when it's distinctly loud. I'm not sure the gym qualifies for that. But I really don't know. It's kind of frustrating. I just don't want it to get worse or do further damage. I'm going to guess that a lot of doctors don't really know either, if that's any consolation.

 

I cant tell for sure what is causing it, but for me I think most of it was psychological.
If it got better because I stopped overprotecting my ears, I dont know..

But if was after I pulled out my earplugs and told myself not to care about it that it gradually got better, and exposed my ears to sounds that I kinda knew deep inside was not dangeorous

I even started hammering nails into wood (carefully) without earplugs, and I have to say that my H was completely gone when the day had passed. It might flare up from time to time though, and especially if I think about it / being anxious about it.
I didnt get H at the onset of T, but a little later.. I think I got it when I started to get really anxious about my T, as my previous T's has always resolved on its own.

However, I always use earplugs when Im around what I would consider to be loud noise.

At least that is my humble experience