Still No Proper Sleep, So Desperate — Does Deep Sleep Come Back with Habituation?

Hi guys and girls!

I'm 4.5 months into this ringing in my head / both ears.

Still I don't now what caused it, one evening there came a buzz in one ear with some pain, really strange feeling (SSHL?).

After that the electric ringing in my head begun. The ENT could not find hearing loss, but only up to 8 kHz.

The first months were really hard, I sometimes did not sleep for 3 days and was in full panic.

I'm not in full panic mode anymore, but it's still SO hard to sleep. If I manage to fall asleep, I'll wake up after maybe 2 hours, I get maybe 4 hours per night of bad sleep. Last night I did not sleep at all, my tinnitus was so loud and I could not fall asleep. So today I feel like shit, don't know how to go on. It just feels so pointless and never ending, I can't imagine living like this forever, and I'm only 28, this happened without me doing anything!

I hate my life at the moment, can't find any joy.

I have also heard that those with tinnitus have different brain waves than normal people, so your brain is more aroused all the time. Does that mean I'm not gonna have deep sleep ever again? That would cost me maybe 10 years of life expectancy! What's the point of living without proper sleep?

I can't sleep with masking, I'm sleeping with ear plugs.

I'm thinking about the tinnitus all the time and my life is just wasted.

Do you think deep sleep comes back with habituation?

 

Not sure if this will help or not. I'm only into the T. since Feb. 7th. Had a hearing test today, and my hearing is a slight loss, and in the 8-10k range. Audiologist says that we start losing hearing in this range from birth, so not uncommon. Age also plays a part, I'm 66. My sleep is generally pretty good, I'd say I sleep normally 90% of the time. There are nights though, so I can empathize and sympathize. One thing the audiologist pointed out is that it is most important to have "noise" and to avoid "quiet" spaces. I now play internet radio during the day. However I don't think I'll get into noise generators, etc. Pretty sure I couldn't sleep with something playing in the background. I've slept using earplugs for years (at least 20) because I can't sleep with background noises. Hope this helps.

 

Why is it important? Does the outside noise train the brain somehow?

 

I have found using earplugs at night helps both with sleep, and with habituation. I am about 6 months into this, and using earplugs for the last 3, and am sleeping quite a bit better since I started plugging at night. At first it was counterintuitive as sleeping at night is the quietest time of the day, but before I was doing this every little sound was waking me up.

 

Yes, it helps alleviate the tinnitus. The brain has other sounds to focus on..

 

I've been using plugs at nite for at least 20 years, can't sleep with any kind of sound. Don't think sound generators would work for me. Plugs do work great for the T. at least for me, too.

 

You're gonna have to change your mind. I slept in silence all my life, loved it, hated white noise. Now I sleep with white noise. I didn't really have a choice.

 

I've read a lot about masking on this site and seems there is a 50/50 split on whether to mask or not. I do mask when I sleep since the tinnitus is worse at night and have no choice.

Is the tinnitus louder with your earplugs? How does it sound like?

 

You should speak to your GP about sleeping medication or anti depressants. I know some don't like the thought of using them, I didn't myself, but it's been helping me get over the hump. I've been relying on the sleeping drugs less and less and am weaning myself off them.

I am habituating a bit, and that certainly helps. I know it sucks, but for now, you will have to try to habituate to the T you have. It could fade, it could stay the same or it could get worse. Hopefully it will get better and there are treatments showing promise if you go into the Treatment section of the forum.

I've actually gone back to sleeping with plugs and, while it makes the T louder initially, I actually wake up with lower tinnitus. This morning I woke up and couldn't hear my T in my left ear at all, just the blood rushing through it. It returned within an hour or two of being awake, but I think it's actually easier for me to sleep with plugs now.

 

The T is louder upon initial insertion of the earplugs, and then goes down in volume in a few short minutes. After sleep, the T is lower, but more so when I wear my earplugs at night. I also find that I sleep better at night, and don't wake up as much.

I strongly believe that the earplugs at night, and also to protect from loud sounds, have helped me habituate quicker than some others.

 

Really, why, because you say so? What works for you may not necessarily work for all. Plugs work fine for me and I'll stick with that.

 

Yup, my experience too, it eventually fades to the point where I don't hear it...

 

How soon after inserting the ear plugs does the T calm down?

 

30 mins-ish, but then I'm typically asleep. I think maybe my brain being in sleep mode helps lower it, however temporarily.

 

With me it's usually 5-10 minutes...

 

In my case, it is the Hyperacusis that is my main tormentor (sound waves entering my oversensitive good ear causing the buzz in my head to skyrocket). So,.., at night my bedroom is very quiet and the buzz reduced to a level that was tolerable enough for me to sleep. Not as good as before, but not that bad. During the day I was using ear plugs a lot to block the irritating sound entering my good ear. I have since learned that if I want to get this Hyperacusis managed to where I can put it on the back burner of my existence, it is best to not avoid every day noises to begin training my brain to not focus on the “buzz”. In short, to habituate. So now my new formula is to try and avoid using ear protection when encountering normal every day ambient noise. I still always carry ear plugs in case I encounter noise that is too loud or is simply, bothering me too much. I also am utilizing white noise now when I go to bed in the attempt to again get my brain focused more on the white noise (nature sounds) even though my Hyperacusis Is not that bad in my quiet bedroom. I am beginning to find that I am more and more able to tolerate every day noise without the need for an earplug in my good ear. My goal is to use them less and less. I still cannot stand being in a busy restaurant or the like. If I can’t avoid those type of places I have my ear plug as a emergency out. Hopefully, I will get to a degree of habituation where I can even be in those kind of places. It goes without saying that I will never subject myself to things like loud concerts or the equivalent. Those days are over. Remember, this beast can be a different animal for everyone. In time, and with some experimentation, you too will discover how to tame it to the degree where you can live side by side with it, until hopefully a time comes thru research that it may gloriously be killed, never to return. Good luck, we feel your pain and are pulling for you.

 

For sleep you have to keep to a routine, shower, fan, sound machine - I like it on the ocean sound, eye mask to block out light. 2x Tylenol pm. I have head tinnitus.

 

It will get easier to sleep. It did for me. I was having major sleep loss and weird disturbing nightmares in the first 3 months but your brain will adapt because you need sleep.

If all else fails, got get some benzos from the doctor. Tell them you have severe anxiety. Hate to say it like that but you gotta do what you gotta do to survive. Also, this is not recommended by the medical world, but if you drink even just a little bit of alcohol on benzos it doubles their impact. When I say a little I mean even a couple sips of beer. This advice may be a no-no and possibly dangerous but there it is.

If I'm not mistaken, benzo abuse can even cause tinnitus. All I know is that I was on them for a few weeks and I was in love with them.

 

Melatonin supplements are really good but you quickly build up a tolerance. Take up long distance running in the evening. Being physically tired will help you sleep. I can attest to this.

 

I use 5HTP, natural serotonin. Works better than Melatonin by putting you into REM quicker. I also suffer from chronic anxiety and tried them all, Xanax, Atavan, you name it. This by far has worked better than any of them. Also available over the counter at Walmart, Costco, etc.

 

I know nothing about 5HTP except that there may be some concerns with it, as with all drugs I suppose.

 

When my tinnitus was new back in january 2017 I couldn't sleep and was in total agony. Stress, anxiety, depression, panic etc. My friend gave me sleeping pills that would last for 1 week. 1 each night for 7 days. They helped a lot and made me get sleep, which in turn reduced the stress and anxiety. After my sleeping pills was finished I could start sleeping again.
So pills can be good short term just to give you your sleep and reduce ur stress and anxiety so that you can eventually sleep by urself.

 

Most nights I sleep with crickets playing on my google home speaker. I can sleep without it but I feel like without it I focus on it 100% more. I don't know if this helps or hurts habituation. I used to be fine when I was going to sleep.

 

It's not a drug, amino acid actually, it falls under vitamin class as does Melatonin. What concerns did you hear about?

 

@dellwas

HTP 5 Side Effects
Other potential side effects of 5-HTP include heartburn, stomach pain, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, drowsiness, sexual problems, and muscle problems. 5-HTP is POSSIBLY UNSAFE when taken by mouth in large doses. Doses from 6-10 grams daily have been linked to severe stomach problems and muscle spasms.

@dellwas
5-HTP is POSSIBLY SAFE when taking by mouth appropriately. 5-HTP has been used safely in doses up to 400 mg daily for up to one year. However, some people who have taken it have developed a condition called eosinophilia-myalgia syndrome (EMS), a serious condition involving extreme muscle tenderness (myalgia) and blood abnormalities (eosinophilia). Some people think EMS might be caused by an accidental ingredient or contaminant in some 5-HTP products. However, there is not enough scientific evidence to know if EMS is caused by 5-HTP, a contaminant, or some other factor. Until more is known, 5-HTP should be used cautiously.

@dellwas - Personally I know nothing about 5HTP so I took this off of the net.
xx

 

I can help you with a sound mix I invented that has helped 446 people so far. It is free at https://tinnitusmix.com.

Download and put it on loop using Koss KTX-PRO1 headphones for 3 weeks all night every night.

 

Serotonin may worsen tinnitus. Summary: ... Millions of people suffer from the constant sensation of ringing or buzzing in the ears known as tinnitus, creating constant irritation for some and severe anxiety for others. Research by scientists at OHSU shows why a common antidepressant medication may worsen the condition.22 Aug 2017

 

Do you have a link for this source??? Would like to read it. Thanks.

EDIT: found it. Article does not mention 5HTP in any way, shape or form, and talks about PRESCRIBED SSRIs....

https://news.ohsu.edu/2017/08/22/study-suggests-serotonin-may-worsen-tinnitus

 

Thanks, but I'll stick with it on the rare occasion when I need it. You haven't lived until you try to wean off of antidepressants. Been there, done that, and I'll NEVER go down that road again. Also, again, 5HTP has worked better for me than any man made antidepressant. End of story.

 

@dellwas - I wasn’t hoping to influence you.
I just thought I’d share what little I knew about this substance.
Best wishes
Dave x
Jazzer