My Tinnitus Woke Me Up

After being woken up this morning with a particularly loud bout of tinnitus, I thought it was time to find some support. The noise eventually decreased back to its usual background hiss after an hour or so - but even that is starting to become more intrusive.

I'm pinning my hopes on a big breakthrough in stem cell research?

 

Welcome to TT, Steve. It will be nice a treatment option will come out from the medical field in a few years, things like AM101, stem cells, trobalt, etc. So in the mean time, we need to focus on the mental side of T by trying to keep positive and calm to avoid getting into stress and anxiety issues. T feasts on anxiety and stress as well as sleep deprivation. Do whatever to lessen your stress and anxiety. TT has step by step guide for a new sufferer in this threat. I also has a nice audio player for masking.

https://www.tinnitustalk.com/panic/

If you stay positive and calm, and go back to living, then the brain will slowly accept T as not being a mortal threat. In so doing, it will learn to back off from monitoring T, if slowly. Eventually, your brain can learn to adapt to the new normal and things will be easier. Read up the success stories to give you some hope.

 

Initially when I developed T, I remember being woken from the loud ringing as well. Mine has gotten much better over time.

 

Thanks for the assurances guys - I'm already feeling better about the situation. There's lots of positive stories and advice here.

 

My T used to wake me up after 1 and half hrs. every night. Your brain will get used to it and you'll sleep better, On bad T days I just go back to masking it at night with white noise. This will help you sleep. Number 1 thing you need is sleep so try the masking

 

Welcome Steve. It's happened to me twice and it really was unpleasant, to be jolted from a nice sleep by a loud noise you can't switch off is not my idea of fun.

If I'm having a spike I always get by with masking sounds to help distract me. Keeping away from listening to the noise is the best thing you can do. Like Billie says it's a mental battle, you need to help your brain to tune it out and learn that it isn't a threat.

If you like any of the sounds on the player I can send them to you (I keep meaning to put them on TT as free downloads, must get to doing that).

 

What do you do if nothing will mask it? And if your brain only allows 4.5 hours sleep? and when you wake up it is louder than ever?

 

I can only speak for what I do and I haven't found that I can't mask mine. It's generally a case of getting the right sound, the right frequency content and creating the right kind of interest so that you are able to help your brain out in not paying attention to it.

Masking isn't necessarily the right thing anyway, being able to just hear it so that you can either actively or passively tune it out is the way I would recommend (as it is in many audio therapies).

But I am at an advantage because I can sit with a synthesiser and sound samples until I find that sound. If you don't have the software or the know-how then it's not easy with a particularly stubborn t sound.

 

Steve, thanks for the tips, the masking sounds really work - much better than I thought they would!

 

Yes...sleep interference is one of the worst things that I am experiencing . Not so long ago sleep was not an issue. Used to go to bed and fall asleep naturally with nice dream sleep etc.And now about a month later..I'm sitting here reading these T stories at 11 pm...already took the Oxazepam pill for sleep at 9:15 ...and still can't sleep ! Have slept so little and not so soundly for a few weeks. And sometimes it can wake you up...and sometimes I wake up and it all feels quiet...and then the high pitched noise suddenly starts. Darn frustrating at the moment...as I know that I need my sleep...but it is so noisy again tonight ...and you try all the mental tricks and tell yourself to relax....and play nice music maybe with the T.V in the background etc....and nothing seems to work. Sure miss good sleep

 

i know your feel bro.

this is how i wake up, (when my T is loud) and someone stands next to me

 

You are the real MVP, that made me laugh!