Could Sleeping with Bose Sleepbuds II Make Tinnitus Worse?

I'm Deni from New Zealand. Never knew I had tinnitus till we visited Doubtful Sound and the boar engines stopped so we could enjoy the silence. All I could hear was ringing and buzzing... I was looking around but nope... just me!

We used to live at the end of Whenuapai Air Base and I would often ask my other half if the engines were being turned over (as they regularly were). Again... nope... just me!

I have used earplugs for many years as I also cannot sleep with outside noise and have recently switched to Bose Sleepbuds II which I use at a level low enough to mask some of the tinnitus and some of the outside noise. The volume bar is about one tenth of the full level.

I am sleeping well for the first time in years... but am I worsening my tinnitus?

I can't say I've noticed a difference but would appreciate any input (no pun intended!)

Thanks for your time!

 

Some say that any kind of earbuds or headphones can make tinnitus worse. I can't sleep without some kind of ambient noise, otherwise all I hear is a constant whistling sound that keeps me awake until I pass out from sheer exhaustion, then if I wake up after a few hours I can't get back to sleep. I first started using sleeping headphones to play noise such as crickets, rain, or white noise, but after being told that doing this can possibly make it worse I switched over to either a Bluetooth speaker or a soundbar and I'll play the cricket sounds through that.

That combined with a 5 mg dose of THC (can also possibly make tinnitus worse but screw it... I need to sleep) and an occasional OTC sleeping pill has finally let me sleep more than 3 hours a night for the last couple of days. The ambient noise doesn't bother my GF so it's all good.

Have you tried playing some kind of ambient noise through an external speaker?

 

Thanks for the reply - I did try ambient noise but the other side of my bed wasn't impressed...

The earbuds have made a tremendous difference to me being able to sleep without pills - 2 weeks now. I do seem to be aware of my tinnitus a bit more but maybe that's just from reading these threads!

 

I use a Sony Bluetooth and at times bone conducted headphones.

 

Your tinnitus is noise induced. This type of tinnitus can become worse listening to audio through any type of headphones even at low volume. Type headphones in the search box at the top of this page and read the posts.

If you are sure that your tinnitus is unaffected then continue using the earbuds but I strongly advise against it. You could attach a sound machine to a pillow speaker. These pillows have built-in speakers for privacy. You can also try a pillow speaker. These speakers are specially made for placing beneath an existing pillow to listen to audio.

Michael

 

I would recommend using external broadcasting rather than earphones if you have the choice.

As a general rule, you don't want to stress your hearing capital if you're already fighting tinnitus.

Playing safe is always better with this condition

 

I am investigating this product as well. There are audiologists who specifically recommend it so there must be something to it. I do not agree that using earbuds has an automatic detriment to hearing or tinnitus - it's just sound input, like any other sound input you get every day. If you're keeping the volume low, then I doubt it's causing a problem, and sleep is incredibly important for all aspects of health. It takes priority.

I'm new to this forum but I can see a lot of people like to land on the pessimistic health-anxiety side of things.

Of course you should be mindful of protecting your ears in noisy situations, but beyond that you've got to live your life and not overthink every choice. If the Bose Sleepbuds are working for you, be happy you found something effective. Living with tinnitus is mostly about mentally overcoming the anxiety that it creates. That's my $0.02.

 

Try pillow speakers.

 

Some audiologists (but not all) know of the risks someone with noise-induced tinnitus takes, when listening to audio through earbuds, headsets, noise-cancelling headphones, bone conduction headphones and SleepBuds even at low volume. The tinnitus can get louder and might not return to its previous baseline level but instead, increase to a new permanent level. This is not promoting pessimism but a fact. Type headphones in the search box at the top of this page and read the posts.

Not everyone that has noise-induced tinnitus will be affected by listening to audio through the devices mentioned above but many are. I note that your tinnitus is noise induced, so remember you have been warned.

Michael

 

The "risk" has to do with volume. So it's easily avoidable. Caution is given to people listening to loud music. Not people listening to white noise with noise-cancellation at the lowest volume. Many studies have shown a benefit of sound therapy. If you are going to be that paranoid about noise in the world, I guess you could never leave your room.

What I've observed is that self-appointed internet "experts" like to speak with unearned authority and drag anonymous strangers into their own personal miseries. Maybe it's boredom, or loneliness, or just trying to feel relevant in a vast and indifferent world. I get it.

But the person who asked this question simply does not need the anxiety. No one here does. The person has mild tinnitus that they barely ever notice. Fixating on it would serve nothing good. You have to meet people where they are, not project your own experiences onto them.

Respectfully, you do not know what is best for me or anyone else.

 

Work with a professional you trust, do your due diligence, and remember the folks giving advice here haven't fixed their own tinnitus, have no certifications or training in audiology or tinnitus management, and as much as they may hang out on a chat board giving opinions as facts, in truth only have a sample set of one in tinnitus management experience.

All the above includes yours truly.

In my ill-informed sample set of one, none of it makes a lick of difference. I've yet to see a single study anywhere that states a dB from an earbud is more harmful to the human ear than a dB from any other source. All we can do is to try living with it better with the tinnitus we've got, if the Bose sleep buds help you make it through the night, in my personal experience it will neither make your tinnitus better or worse, but life feels a lot better with a good night's sleep. If it does make it worse then don't use them again, what are you going to do, not try to improve you life because of fear?

 

Audiologists, ENT doctors and other health professionals that work with tinnitus patients are trained to treat underlying medical problems that cause tinnitus, mostly (but not always) associated within the ear and auditory system and there are many. ETD (Eustachian Tube Dysfunction), Meniere's disease, otoscelerosis, TMJ, (Temporomandibular Joint Dysfunction), hearing loss, injury to the head, acoustic neuroma and exposure to loud noise. However, these health professionals do not treat tinnitus which is an entirely different kettle of fish.

ENT doctors and audiologists have told me more than once over 26 years that I have lived with tinnitus, that they don't treat tinnitus. Some people are under the impression one has to be medically qualified and trained in tinnitus to know about this condition but this is incorrect. Tinnitus cannot be learnt in any great depth at medical school or from reading a book. The only way to truly understand it and to have an inkling of the way it can affect a person's mental and emotional well-being is to live with it. In my opinion one has to have lived with it for at least 3, preferably 5 years and have experience of it being mild, moderate and severe to acquire this knowledge, because tinnitus is a very common condition that a lot of people eventually habituate to with or without receiving medical help. Under these circumstances tinnitus will usually be mild to moderate.

In most causes (but not all ) noise-induced tinnitus is not caused by an underlying medical condition within the auditory system but is brought on by exposure to loud noise. Listening to audio at too high a volume through headphones, earbuds, or headsets are often responsible. Regularly attending night clubs and concerts where music is played at high levels can cause it too.

Over the years I have counselled and corresponded with many people that have noise-induced tinnitus, caused by the things I have mentioned above. A lot of people habituated to their tinnitus within 6 to 12 months, sometimes longer, with or without seeing an audiologist that specialises in tinnitus management. During my telephone conversations and corresponding with people at tinnitus forums, a picture started to emerge. One of the main reasons their tinnitus increased after habituation had been reached, was returning to listening to audio through headphones, earbuds and headsets even when the volume was low. Many of them were told by their ENT doctor and audiologist, providing the volume through these devices is kept low, they will be safe and their tinnitus won't increase.

Some of these people believed going to clubs and concerts is safe, providing they wear earplugs or custom moulded earplugs, but nothing more can be further from the truth. If external sound is loud enough, it can pass through the head by bone conduction and irritate the inner ear which can spike the tinnitus. If one is fortunate, the spike will reduce and the tinnitus returns to its baseline level. However, the spike can increase the tinnitus to a new permanent level. I have covered this is my thread: Can I Habituate to Variable Tinnitus?

Michael

Can I Habituate to Variable Tinnitus? | Tinnitus Talk Support Forum

 

I have been using Bose Sleepbuds for years for sleeping, they have been a life saver. Unfortunately they have been discontinued recently - just another bad news.

I don’t know how I will manage to stay alive when mine stop working, as other devices such like external speakers, pillow speakers, a fan on, etc don’t work for me.

Does anyone know of any good similar earbuds that are comfortable for sleeping?

 

Good news. They are for sale at Bose website and on Amazon.

 

Well, that's essentially how I got my tinnitus...

 

@obnoxious, a lot of people have got tinnitus from using headphones, earbuds and headsets. Continuing to use these devices even at low volume, after habituation has been reached, risks making the tinnitus worse.

 

I never met anyone who got it by using headphones while sleeping. Except for me.

 

You haven't had tinnitus that long @obnoxious so that's understandable. I have had tinnitus for 26 years and corresponded with many people that have got tinnitus using headphones and Sleepbuds at night.

I don't know how much your tinnitus is affecting your life, but noise-induced tinnitus usually improves over time. If you don't listen to audio through any type of headphones, even at low volume, and be careful not to be exposed to overly loud sounds, there's a good chance your tinnitus will reduce and remain stable for many years. This doesn't mean to wear earplugs everywhere that you go as this can cause other problems.

All the best,
Michael

 

Did you get tinnitus while using the Bose Sleepbuds or other headphones?

The Sleepbuds are throttled pretty low, 74 dB max output. When I used them it was at less than 50% of volume so probably in the range of 30+ dB.

This is obviously different than falling a sleep with music/tv blasting through standard headphones.

"How will long-term use of Sleepbuds™ II affect my hearing?
Bose has limited the maximum sound pressure level (SPL) output of Sleepbuds™ II to 74 dBA. Based on the WHO-ITU standard for safe listening issued in 2019, the amount of sound energy consumed listening to Sleepbuds™ II at this level daily would be within the safe limit for adults. However, compounding factors such as high sound or noise exposure during waking hours, or exposure to certain chemicals or medications, could lead to a cumulative risk to hearing. To minimize this risk, when using Sleepbuds™ II, you should always set the masking sound volume to the lowest level that allows you to get a good night’s sleep."

 

Some Philips ANC. I found a paper once claiming that hearing damage caused during sleep is "much more irreversible"; which would explain why I got intrusive tinnitus while listening to zen fountains for a few nights in a row.

Edit: reference.

 

How's your tinnitus now, @obnoxious?

 

I kinda got used to it, but it did not change of a tad.