Attempted No Tinnitus Masking While Sleeping — Woke Up with Major Spike

Trying to understand what happened. After sound masking with a fan for the three months I’ve had tinnitus and hyperacusis, I tried an experiment and didn’t run anything all night. Woke up with a huge spike.

I guess I need to mask every night still. I wonder what happened?

 

I don't think your spike and the fan are related, and I wouldn't let this deter you from going to sleep without the fan on again.

I cant fathom how listening to a fan is going to prevent you from having a spike?

I can say that for me, over time, my spikes are fewer and farther between, and I do not sleep with any noise on at night. I just got sick of 'running away from the noise'. Adding another noise in to mask the tinnitus was a further source of irritation.

 

I know many folks around here use some sort of white noise at night, whether from a fan or other source. My T is usually the loudest at night, maybe from stress or all the noises during the day adding up cumulatively.

When I dont need to wake up with the alarm clock, I put in ear plugs at night, and find that after a few minutes, my T noise quiets down. If anything, I want it quieter at night and find that it helps me sleep better. Curious if anyone has found this as well.

 

I use a fan and a sound machine at night due to my pervasive tinnitus. I went a night without the fan (after using it for years) and I woke up to louder tinnitus. The fan has a soothing sound. The mind just gets used to things. I think I missed it.

 

@Cape crusader

The term "masking" is no longer used by tinnitus therapists for it is considered old fashioned. It has been replaced with "sound enrichment" which is a much better way and preferred method of treating tinnitus and hyperacusis. The brain cannot habituate to tinnitus if it is unable to hear it. As soon as the masking sound is stopped, the brain will immediately focus on the tinnitus and often, it will appear to be louder and more intrusive.

The brain and auditory system never switch off, so when we are asleep or in quiet surroundings, it has the ability to increase its background activity. In doing so it will also increase the tinnitus making it louder and more intrusive. By using low level sound enrichment, the brain and auditory system are supplied with sound and thus, helps prevent the brain from increasing its own background activity. Over time the tinnitus will also be suppressed.

This is particularly evident in people that have tinnitus due to hearing loss. When the brain is unable to hear certain sounds/frequencies from the outside environment, it will turn up its internal gain to hear those sounds/frequencies. In doing so tinnitus can develop and over time become more intrusive. Once a person is fitted with a hearing aid/s, the brain no longer has to work so hard and turns down its gain (volume control). Over time, the tinnitus is reduced too.

Sound Machines

A sound machine can be used night and day but work best when we sleep. It supplies the brain and auditory system with sound enrichment. Over time the tinnitus is pushed further into the background making it less intrusive and will make the path to habituation easier. The purpose of using a sound machine is to have it playing in the background without drawing attention to itself unlike a radio. For this reason, music shouldn't be used at night for sound enrichment, as it will draw the brain’s attention and can delay habituation.

I have three Sound Oasis machines. The S-650 is very popular and the one I usually recommend people buy. It comes with a variety of sounds on two sound cards. Additional cards can be purchased. The S-850 travel, is more expensive and compact. It has 18 on-board digital sounds and doesn’t use cards. Some people might be bothered by the clock’s blue backlight at night-time. It dims but cannot be turned completely off; the S650 backlight can be set to switch off automatically.

The S-5000 is the top model. Larger and more sophisticated than the others and can only be mains operated. It uses a three-speaker system, that has a subwoofer for increased depth and definition to the sound. According to Oasis, over 140 on-board sound combinations are possible. It has FM/AM radio and an external sound source can be selected via the auxiliary input. There are a host of other features.

The purpose of using a sound machine is to have it playing in the background without drawing attention to itself unlike a radio. For this reason, music shouldn't be used at night for sound enrichment, as it will usually draw the brain’s attention and can delay habituation.

Michael

PS: Many people have contacted me after they have habituated to their tinnitus and stopped using sound enrichment at night, only to find the tinnitus becoming intrusive over time. The rule of thumb: avoid quiet rooms and surroundings especially at night by using a sound enrichment.

A mobile phone attached to a docking station with external speakers or blue-toothed to a speaker, can serve a similar purpose to sound machine, by playing nature sounds downloaded from YouTube.

 

Is that why tinnitus gets so much louder in quiet? It’s not just a direct effect of the lack of outside noise but it actually gets louder?

 

If a person has intrusive tinnitus or if they haven't habituated, and stay in a quiet room the tinnitus can appear to be louder. However, the main reasons for tinnitus getting louder is stress and worrying over things. Stress makes tinnitus worse and tinnitus makes stress worse. It is can become a vicious circle if one isn't careful.

Michael

 

Masking hurts my ears. Pain. Don't know why. If I cover the sound it hurts all day. I can't sleep with it and I can't sleep without it.

 

@Michael Leigh
Hi Michael.
Any good options on reducing stress? I think my tinnitus gets louder with stress but I’m having no luck with stress and anxiety management.
Meditation, diet, breathing exercises, even very limited medication. I’m so frustrated. One day isn’t too bad, next tinnitus through the roof.
16 months in.
Thank you.

 

HI @Cape crusader
I have only seen your post by chance even though you have written my name as @Michael Leigh I didn't receive a PM Alert. Please send me a PM or Email in the future as well as posting on the forum just to make sure I receive your message.

Stress can affect tinnitus a lot in fact I believe it is the second worse thing that can make Noise induced tinnitus worse, the first being exposure to loud sound or headphones use. Tinnitus is intrinsically linked to our mental and emotional wellbeing. Although medication can help relieve stress, the underlying cause which is causing the stress has to be reduced too. This can be one or a combination of things.

Although medication, relaxation therapy etc can help, if the route problem of the stress or stresses are not dealt with, then one is addressing the symptom and not the main problem or problems. This can be work, financial, relationship/domestic problems/issues. Please look at what is going on in your life and see if there is anything that I have mentioned which might be causing additional stress, the medication alone might not be able to fix.

Life is problematic and we all have problems. Those we are close to have problems which can also affect us. Stress will have a direct impact on tinnitus. It sounds like you are doing all the right things so look at your lifestyle or what's going in your life and see if there's anything that can be changed, if there is anything might help reduce stress.

It is just a suggestion.
Hope you start to feel better soon.

Michael