Sleeping with Tinnitus?

Hello Guys, I have been lurking on this website for about two months now. I am currently try to cope with tinnitus like the rest of you.

My tinnitus is probably mild and in both ears, I usually don't hear it throughout the day when my mind is occupied but nights are a completely different story.

I get three different types of sounds: A high pitch sound, and the usually hissing accompanied a light steam train going off in my left ear. I addition, I also feel that sounds from my fan or iPhone for example amplifies my T sounds in some way.

I have probably only slept a couple of hours this week due to the T. I always slept on my side but I find that somewhat difficult now because it amplifies the sound.

I was hoping anyone here has some ideas on how relieve this problem because I find it difficult to sleep on my back.

 

my experience was that you just have to retrain yourself. Ironically I probably sleep better than ever now; I always needed a fan to sleep and couldn't tolerate any other noise, but once the tinnitus got louder than a fan I learned to sleep without one, and now I can sleep with earplugs in when I must.

The trick for me was to stop seeing the noise as a threat, and also stop thinking of lack of sleep itself as a threat. If you think you're in danger, you're not going to sleep very well for basic survival reasons.

I think the main actionable thing I did was various guided meditations at bed for quite a while (youtube has plenty).

it wasn't easy, though, and I went through a year or so of pretty disrupted sleep. Some of that was because I'd become dependent on sleeping pills, which was a mistake...

 

Just to adress your comment about fans and other white noise affecting
your Tinnitus, personally I have found a big part of thinking like this is simply mental. For a period of time I was convinced that any noise at all was not good for my ears and I should seek silence at all costs.
However, I've come to realize that
having tinnitus dosen't necesarily mean that your ears are super sensitive, thinking like this may often just be in your head. The human body is often stronger than one might think. However, everyone is diffent and this may not be the case for you. If you think you need silence at the end of the day, then you may be right. On nights where I have needed no white noise (possibly after a particularly noisey day) and am left with nothing but the Sound of my Tinnitus, I have found comfort in the fact that I know that the silence is the best thing for my ears at that time. It may not be increadibly pleasent, but often that is the rest your ears need.

Of coarse, this is all just from my own experience. But nonethless I hope you will find some of this helpful.

 

I play nature sounds from utube all night like birds chirping or water fall sounds to help mask the T also took ambien for a couple monthes and the weened off when I adjusted to having T and started falling asleep on my own. The first few monthes is a challenge and then each month you pay less attention to it to where its not on your mind 24 hours a day.

 

sleep is a daily struggle. I'm told it gets better in time. For me its not falling asleep but staying asleep. Once I wake up I often can't fall back asleep.

I bought something called "cozy phones" that you may want to look into. It's a headband with speakers built in. Covers the eyes, plays gentle noise of your choosing. Has the benefit of not bothering my wife like a noise machine would.

 

Unlike others on here, I did find that quiet noises did severely aggravate my tinnitus at first. This occurred daily and lasted for in excess of a year before it seemed to subside. I still react to noises that are well below damaging limits, as it increases the level of the hiss for around an hour afterwards, but the amplitude is not so intolerable.

My T was not noise induced though, therefore god only knows what damage was one to my auditory system.

 

I use these also. I think there are several different varieties out there. The kind I got are called "sleep phones."



I sleep on my side also, shifting from side to side a lot, and find these to be helpful since they tend to stay in position. I used them every night for a while. Lately, I have been using them about half the time.

You might try experimenting with different sounds and apps. Not all white noise apps are the same. Some play a prerecorded track on a loop, while others are actually generating the sound. Perhaps it will make some difference in your reaction to it.

 

I tend to use the "my noise" app, which lets you customize the EQ on the white noise. The "Whist" app also creates some pretty custom noises.

I used to use the crickets, but I found that they'd end up in my dreams. A constant sound has a lesser effect with that.

 

wine. also now klonopin (no wine or VERY little). white noise machine and air conditioner and when it gets bad I have those soft headphones I put on crickets.