How Do You Sleep?

K

kevin89carolina

Member
Author
Apr 22, 2014
46
Tinnitus Since
March 30, 2014
#1
Once I get to sleep, I'm usually ok..

But whenever I lie down, the high pitched hissing/ringing is just so loud

If I turn my head and lie on my right ear, it's almost impossible to keep it there. It is SCREAMING.

I try to just lie on my back but I love to sleep on my sides and everything from my head down just wants to turn and roll on over

I usually sleep with a crickets sound maker, but it doesn't really help a whole lot. Sometimes it makes the tinnitus whip and lash with each tone change in the sounds. White noise isn't high enough for it as well as the other sounds on the machine.

Does anybody use a sound pillow? I don't want to sleep with headphones in, because I feel like over time the loud hissing/ringing will die down after a while. It's just almost impossible to sleep on my sides.

I remember before I just had mild tinnitus where I could sleep with the tv turned down and a light fan on and not even hear it unless I really really concentrated.

Do you guys think it'll die down over time to the point where I can sleep on my sides again? Let me know if there's anything I can do to help it. Thanks
 
#2
I've had my T since March 16, 2013. When I first got T I tried masking, and that didn't work. Eventually as I began to habituate my mind would wander from the noise. I still hear it when I go to sleep, and I'm aware of it, but it does not bother me. My most annoying T is in my left ear (11.5 kHz band of hissing), and my more tolerable T is in my right ear (mid frequency Square wave sound). Yes, sleeping on one ear or the other can make a difference, but I'm used to it now.

All I can tell you is that time is on your side. According to your profile you have had T since March 30, 2014? Is that correct? If so, you are still very early in the habituation process.

You'll get there. You'll find a way. Time will be on your side.
 
#3
pef said:
I've had my T since March 16, 2013. When I first got T I tried masking, and that didn't work. Eventually as I began to habituate my mind would wander from the noise. I still hear it when I go to sleep, and I'm aware of it, but it does not bother me. My most annoying T is in my left ear (11.5 kHz band of hissing), and my more tolerable T is in my right ear (mid frequency Square wave sound). Yes, sleeping on one ear or the other can make a difference, but I'm used to it now.

All I can tell you is that time is on your side. According to your profile you have had T since March 30, 2014? Is that correct? If so, you are still very early in the habituation process.

You'll get there. You'll find a way. Time will be on your side.
Click to expand...
I've had a mild case of T my whole life. Usually never heard it unless I was drinking and went into a quiet room, or I was trying to go to sleep without anything on. That was it...boy was I lucky

Now after what happened 4 weeks ago, March 30, it's unbearable. Such a loud and cringe worthy hissing/ringing that is unbelievably high pitched along with morse code beeping and distorted frequency sounds that happen when I listen to music.

So it's been 4 weeks and hasn't changed. I know it's going to take a while. I know that's not that long, but it does worry me. Will it sound like this forever since it's been a month? I kick myself everyday for shooting that gun without protection, but am trying to move on and get better. I'm so scared of damaging my ears even more now though. This is as loud as I ever want it to get.
 
#4
I've tried a sound pillow, but mine was crap. The speaker quality is VERY important to our needs in my opinion. We need to hear the sound of crickets, rainfall, white noise etc in high quality and especially in the higher frequencies. The speaker in my sound pillow was a plastic piece of **** that didn't work at all. Probably one can find a better one or hack one together in a DIY fashion.
 
#5
kevin89carolina said:
I've had a mild case of T my whole life. Usually never heard it unless I was drinking and went into a quiet room, or I was trying to go to sleep without anything on. That was it...boy was I lucky

Now after what happened 4 weeks ago, March 30, it's unbearable. Such a loud and cringe worthy hissing/ringing that is unbelievably high pitched along with morse code beeping and distorted frequency sounds that happen when I listen to music.

So it's been 4 weeks and hasn't changed. I know it's going to take a while. I know that's not that long, but it does worry me. Will it sound like this forever since it's been a month? I kick myself everyday for shooting that gun without protection, but am trying to move on and get better. I'm so scared of damaging my ears even more now though. This is as loud as I ever want it to get.
Click to expand...

Been there, done that. I got my T from a gunshot without hearing protection in an enclosed space: https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/it-got-better-for-me.3150/

I know exactly what you are going through. It will get better, and it will take time. For me the distortion started fading after several weeks, but it still kicks in every once in a while. Hang in there.
 
#7
I have a electric fan which is of the most help. I used the fan for many years even before tinnitus as I often had to sleep during the day. I also use a sound machine with pillow speakers. There are a great number of speakers out there and finding a quality speaker is the key.

That being said it will get better over time. I still have my bad days and cannot sleep at all but they are few now. Last night my T was bad but I was just so exhausted it did not matter.

I think I have somehow trained myself psychologically to ignore the T and go to sleep. Sleep is really the only refuge I have from it and Sleep is the magic pill. However this did not happen overnight. There were many sleepless nights but sleep does come more easily now.
 
#8
I use a pair of pillow speakers which I got from the RNID in the UK, but I've seen them on Amazon. They work fine for me, especially when I'm lying on my side as I can position right under my ear, and I play a track all night long called 'the Sound of Summer Rain' which I downloaded from Amazon. It really helps to have something other than the sound of my T to focus on. When I first got T I also had sleeping tablets (Zopiclone) from my doctor and they really helped too.
 
#9
i use sleepphones-flat speakers in a fleece headband-without them,i would not have survived my first two months of tinnitus ! with them on ,you can sleep on your sides and feel NOTHING between you and the pillow,the speakers are that flat ,they are amazing.

Sleepphones.jpg
 
#10
This was the hardest part for me, and which caused the most distress, I would say.

In the end I used amitriptyline. I used ear buds to play soothing ambient sounds, and it would work to get me to sleep but I would wake early, uncomfortable and unable to see sleep again.

I bought a book that had a section on sleep hygiene, with some basic rules on ensuring the best night's sleep.

Once I got my anxiety under control, the sleep problem went away, although my T is still there. For me it was only the anxiety about the sound that made me hear it as an intrusive raging scream. This took about 6-8 weeks.
 
#11
Much better now than several weeks ago when T increased. Here are my tricks, if that's what you're asking. Takes a multi-pronged approach IMO:

1) Some type of sound in the room. Could be a small electric heating / fan unit or the sound of rain + crickets.

2) Supplements (see the sleep thread if you want to share a strategy).

3) Exercise

4) Follow basics of good sleep hygiene.
 
#12
I took two 3mg melatonins last night just to help me get to sleep faster. Boy last night was another rough one.

I laid on my back with my box fan on and the crickets sound playing on the sound maker and my T was SCREAMING

I was so exhausted and just wanted to get to sleep

Didn't matter where I laid my head. I tried to ignore it the best I could, but it is literally just too loud. It's like someone has 2 speakers pushed against my ears with the music cranked up to the max. It's nearly impossible to ignore.

I even turned off the crickets sound maker because it seemed like it was making my T even louder.

Something has got to give.
 
#13
kevin hello mate ,i feel your pain buddy. Have to say with respect we are all different sleephones didnt do it for me id wake up middle of the night and boy my ears were feeling the pressure of the band.

kevin go on youtube and listen to pink noise ,

maybe better for you. All the best,Pete
 
#14
carlover said:
kevin hello mate ,i feel your pain buddy. Have to say with respect we are all different sleephones didnt do it for me id wake up middle of the night and boy my ears were feeling the pressure of the band.

kevin go on youtube and listen to pink noise ,

maybe better for you. All the best,Pete
Click to expand...

Thanks carlover

My tinnitus is just way too high pitched for the pink noise. Currently, I have the fan on, crickets sound machine playing, and the tv on and my left ear is just screaming with unbelievably high pitched T. All of the sounds seem to make my head kind of go crazy. Like different frequency's entering my head. Feels like my ears can't get adjusted to the right alignment if that makes any sense.

My left ear is like an extremely high pitched *pinnnnng ping ping pinnnnnng pinnnng ping pinnnnnnnnng* with hissing. This sucks.
 
#15
After i lie down i imagine that i am a superhero and kicking bad guys' asses. However the enemies you choose in your imagination should be dangerous and poweful reallife characters that you really hate.. For example, in a difficult and desperate situation, think that some power is given you from the sky by a lightning; as everybody think that you are strucked, surprisingly you rise to your feet, and that time you are demigod. :)
 
#16
When I first got my t's and went to bed I got one tone for a few minutes and then another one just before I would fall asleep! It was like the brain changing channels to go into sleep mood. I kind of thought it was cool to hear these changes. But now that's gone and it's just lay the head down and relax and fall asleep.
 
#18
I listen to purple noise on my phone through whitenoiseapp. Also I take melatonin and trazodone to help fall and stay asleep as I am already suffering from insomnia as it is. Trazodone is a mild anti depressant which makes you drowsy but it is not habit forming like ambien or benzodiazepines.
 
#19
I put earphones on. Listen to music and really concentrate to the sounds in the background of the song. So that I don't focus on this screeching sound. Then eventually I fall asleep and that's my way of dealing with the issue of getting to sleep.
 
#21
#22
$20 USD Hometics nature sound machine on my bed. "Summer night" setting. I guess my mind knows I'm gonna sleep and shut the racket off for awhile, so it's eager to drift off quickly.
 
#23
Yeah sleep is a break, I'm not sure why it's hard for some. I fear the days.

I sleep 4 hours, awake for 5, back to sleep for 5 hours and up again for 10 or so hours. I find this breaks up and shortens the day, I have a tough time making it through a whole day at once. My ears are screaming and in pain after about an hour of being awake, knowing I've only got a few hours until I sleep again helps me push through.

What a horendous life this has become, never in my wildest dreams.
 
#24
Almost each case is different..I 'suffocate'' T by laying on a side. I cannot sleep on my back cause then I hear it across the whole head. T is stronger in the right side of head so I'm laying on this one and often I feel like it's going through the left ear, but less strong and therefore I can fall asleep after a usually short while, cause T is scattered around the head. My biggest enemy is the tonal T - when it gathers in one point, screaming and speeding then usually my night is ruined.
 
#25
I slept on oxazepam for several weeks. Last few days i take 1-2mg of melatonin. I have a sound machine on with forrest sounds and sometimes a fan on. I always use a guided relaxation app on my android. Helps me to relax and take my mind off off my T. Since a few weeks i use the "overcome t"" app by Glenn Harrold. In the app there is a sort of 12 min sleep booster. I just try to concentrate on my breathing and his voice. Most of the time i will wake up with my headphones still on. Wish you good luck, you are not alone.
 
#26
Sound therapy at night will help sleep and might take a few days to adjust to it.
Pillow speakers are best and use natural sound throughout the night set below your tinnitus level .
Your brain will adapt and pick up your new lower sound through the night pushing your louder tinnitus to the back ground so sound therapy works it's magic through the night .
Think also" your home is locked up and safe in your bed and nothing to fear....lol glynis
 
#27
Sleep is the time where my head is just dominated with tinnitus it's the worst time for me while I read that many people who got severe t can sleep normal , I've used melatonin it helps to keep you asleep for as long as 8 hours but before that I took magnesium 400 mg just before bed it actually helped me a lot , with it the only time in my life where I slept a nice comfortable 10 hours I guess it's related to the magnesium I took
 

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