How Does Caffeine + Sleep (or Nap) Affect Your Tinnitus?

[JasonP]

Figured I would ask a couple of questions today to collect information.

Basically, I have heard that sleep reduces some people's T while it increases other people's T.

I have heard some people take a quick nap and the T increases dramatically and possibly vice versa (can't remember).

My question is for those people who take naps and then their T increases or decreases, did you take caffeine in the morning or before your nap?

Secondly, if your T increases or decreases after nightly sleep, did you take caffeine in the evening? Thanks for any help you can provide!

 

[Elinor]

My T is usually at it's lowest in the morning. When it comes to napping it's pretty much always increased when I wake up. I have no I dea why, but I can tell you right now it's not caffeine in my case. I have not been anything caffeinated since august, yet it still happens.

 

[Elliott.S]

Same here, naps tend to bring my T to a higher level, so well... I never nap hahaha
About caffeine, I drink it in the morning, sometimes in the afternoon, other times in the evening, but it has never affected the noise level of my T by any means, although I'm pretty sure T + Caffeine = not good.

 

[Jason C]

Tinnitus is usually very quiet in the morning for me, it's the noise of the day that brings it up.

Alcohol lowers it, coffee dosent change it, salt dosent change it.

 

[Alue]

Sleep deprivation makes it worse for me. I wouldn't say it's low in the morning, it's still loud, but it's generally worst at the end of the day. By the end of the work week it's screaming. I work long hours in a noisy environment, despite wearing protection it still takes it's toll. During the work week I get around 6 hours of sleep a night for four nights then I get 8+ for three nights. Seems like I barely recover before the next work week.

I avoid caffeine completely.

 

[NimQ]

As for many others here, sleeplessness is one of the biggest triggers outside of loud sounds. I suffer from quite a lot of insomnia and get stressed easily because of my anxiety disorder. Therefore it is hard to maintain a well-rested state in which T is more tolerable.

Naps usually cause a spike in my T, but it is not that bad of a spike really - usually subsides quite quickly as well, unlike when coming home after a long day of being in loud (i.e. normal outside) environments. I suspect this might be because of my bruxism, which happens only when I sleep. So when I wake up my jaw muscles and everything around them are tightened. This is prolly interfering with circulation and affects nervous system as well.

For me caffeine and alcohol are a definitive triggers, so I avoid it altogether in my everyday life.

 

[Starthrower]

I don't take naps....

Regarding coffee/caffeine my tinnitus has always been the loudest when I wake in the morning. In fact over the past what seems like million years - it wakens me. Now remember it has been since 2002 in my case and has not changed. I have pretty much adjusted now.

Because my attitude has improved. I just get up and have my first coffee in the early am. And this actually quiets my tinnitus quite a bit. I was told this is because the substance actually decreases blood flow to the ears. That makes sense. I have nerve damage in my brain/ear so that could be the reasoning. So now I just get up have my morning coffee.

But never have coffee after about noon or so. If I do I cannot shut off my brain later at night and do not get a deep sleep. I have sorta forgot what a good night sleep feels like. Once in a great while I will sleep past 4 am. So I adjusted my going to bed earlier.

Does this help JasonP?

 

[JasonP]

I don't take naps....

Regarding coffee/caffeine my tinnitus has always been the loudest when I wake in the morning. In fact over the past what seems like million years - it wakens me. Now remember it has been since 2002 in my case and has not changed. I have pretty much adjusted now.

Because my attitude has improved. I just get up and have my first coffee in the early am. And this actually quiets my tinnitus quite a bit. I was told this is because the substance actually decreases blood flow to the ears. That makes sense. I have nerve damage in my brain/ear so that could be the reasoning. So now I just get up have my morning coffee.

But never have coffee after about noon or so. If I do I cannot shut off my brain later at night and do not get a deep sleep. I have sorta forgot what a good night sleep feels like. Once in a great while I will sleep past 4 am. So I adjusted my going to bed earlier.

Does this help JasonP?

Yes...it seems to me that there are different reasons for tinnitus and therefore different solutions based on that.

 

[Jomo]

I take naps and drink coffee and no effect...only thing that sets it off is lack of sleep and laying down completley flat for a while.

 

[bill 112]

Naps decrease my T,my T is usually at its quietest when I first wake in the morning,the second sound starts going in it gets louder with more tones etc.

Caffeine or anything for that matter has no affect on it,sound and sound only affects it,I could drink 20 bottles of beer and it won't make it quieter or louder same with Valium,doesn't decrease or increase it.

Funnily enough if I stay awake for way too long my symptoms reduce but maybe that has something to do with my brain being too tired to give a crap anymore.

 

[racerfish]

My T is noisiest before I go to bed and when I wake up. However, I think this is because it's the quietest part of the day, and I don't really have anything to focus on other than the ringing in my head. Caffeine has no impact on my T either way.

 

[Lex]

Caffeine has no effect on my T. It has an effect on my H though, because it makes me much jumpier when I've had too many cups.

 

[JasonP]

Caffeine has no effect on my T. It has an effect on my H though, because it makes me much jumpier when I've had too many cups.

I usually don't drink caffeine or take a caffeine pill but the other day I decided to experiment by taking a pill. Bad news...I was on the edge until it wore off! Check out the following link. I'm not sure how accurate the information is, but maybe it could help you pinpoint something that may help you reduce your H.

http://www.thebioneer.com/caffeine-affects-neurotransmitters-profoundly-changes-brain/

 

[Lex]

@JasonP I love coffee and tea too much, do I have to give them up?

 

[JasonP]

@JasonP I love coffee and tea too much, do I have to give them up?

I wouldn't say that. Only if they make your T worse. With some people it does not affect their T. If you do however decide to get off tea or coffee, I would HIGHLY recommend you do it slowly. I did cold turkey off caffeine drinks and got depressed and had all kinds of bad effects and I had no idea why until years later I realized it was because of that.

 

[Kelvin]

Mine is noisey in the morning as soon as my brain engages ( without sound input ! ) and gets worse towards the evening after being exposed to daily sounds. Coffee and Tea have no effect. Alcohol seems to aggravate it. Especially carbonated drinks like beer. Fizz add to Hissssss.

 

[Forever hopeful]

Mine is quietest in the am. Worse as the day goes on. Loudest at night. If I dare take a nap it screams and wakes me up. ENT thinks TMJ is a major factor and that I may be clenching really hard during my nap. Using my jaws to talk and eat during the day seem to make it worse. Mine can fluctuate wildly within an hour from screaming to almost dead quiet.

Alcohol seems to make my tinnitus better but then next day it is worse. Not sure why.

Generally stay away from caffeine.

 

[GeorgeLG]

Don't take naps.

Caffeine/salt make it worse. Lack of sleep makes it worse. Sounds throughout the day make it worse. All of this is transient and goes back to baseline although baseline is louder than at the beginning. Go to bed, wake up - rinse and repeat. My tinnitus almost never bothers me anymore since I changed my attitude towards and relationship with it. Not there yet on hyperacusis and ear/face pain but working on it along with ruling out underlying causes. My medical oncologist wants to rule out acoustic neuroma because of my expending cancer issues elsewhere so that's up next along with nerve irritation from say TMJ and a suspected sinus fungal infection.

George