Tinnitus So Loud After Naps — Why?

One thing I've definitely noticed with my tinnitus is that I can have a great quiet day, very low volume for hours upon hours.

But if I take a nap, even if it's just quick 10 min nap... when I wake up it's like 100000 crickets blew up in my head.

Why is that? Is it the amount of brain activity that occurs during a power nap? It's crazy how the one thing you need.........sleep.........can can be your tinnitus worst enemy.

My tinnitus is always worse after waking up from sleeping. I don't know why.

thx

 

Same here my tinnitus is absolutely terrible in the morning or whenever I wake up. It's impossible for me to take a nap though, even pre T I never took naps.

 

Mine is exactly the same! I will be reasonably fine not so loud but darent fall asleep or nod off because its nad when i wake. I have asked this many tumes of audiologists over the years and no one can explain. I have had t fir 28 years it went off well i habituated then in came back about 7 years ago after really stressful time at work caused me a nervous breakdown which i lived thru and am still living thru. But wen i first got it 28 years ago it followed a series of terrible migtaine cervical spondylitis severe anaemua and an energency hysterctomy but..during tht bout of tinnitus i bever had problem bapping ut never made it worse. At the monent i am having bad time it seemed to be improving now sudddnly over christnas it has becone really bad both eats shrill and i am really upset i have to work but cdnt face it yezterday but have to go today. I am sorry if this is not in right place i have only just joined and not sure.

 

It's the opposite with me. Most times no T at all when wake up, then it comes on after a few minutes. I lie there trying not to think about it, but it doesn't delay the inevitable.

You have my sympathy Kathy. Christmas is stressful enough as it is, without having to deal with illness too. It's nobbled the last two seasons for my family.

 

Same here, naps exacerbate mine.

This is not the first time a thread like has been made. They pop up every now and then. So far I've only seen speculations as to why this happens.

 

No one knows why, buts it really common. I’d guess it’s anything from the change in our neurochemicals, to sleep affecting the excitability of our, already, overactive neurons.

 

this happens to me too.. If I sleep at my normal time I wake up and usually the tinnitus is super low, but if I fall asleep at any other time an then wake up, the tinnitus can be super loud. Sometimes this happens in the middle of the night too, though thankfully I've gotten used to it enough that I can fall back asleep..

 

The thing i cannogt wrap my head around.....is you have to sleep. I mean you can change your way of life, attitude, exercise, diet, etc., etc., etc........But when you gets spikes from sleeping?? What can you possibly do? This has rly got me down. I feel like it gives you no hope.

 

Thank you for all your replies at least i am not alone. Its bewelidering. What i cant undetstand is why during my first bout of tinnitus all tbose years ago i cd sleep if i wanted to made no spike. During the years when it practically disappeared sleep made no difference its only with this last lot that this does this. I should just mention that once i had habituated to the hissing shrill type i developed an ability to hear very low noise which began years of obsessional behaviour of "looking for this noise" completely obsessional all doctors wd say is take tbis antidepressant or this one. I didnt want to do this do just lived like it for years made my life hell really but i did live. It went away and i was fine until this last lot when bak came the shrill noise which was just strting to show signs of improvenent and bingo ! Back has come the deep noise. This has only happened since Christmas. Now i am back with shrill tinnitus and ocd with deep noise. I feel like i am going mad i cant believe this can have happened in such short time. I am and have been terrified of all meds anyfng becsuse of side effects most state tinnitus as poss side effect. I need two operations which i cannot have because i am frightened of effects of anaesthetic or antibiotics or pain killers. I hate being on here doom and gloom because i know that it can and does get better but i just feel so bad at this time. I dont want anyone who is suffering at the monent to feel there is no hope i really dont want to bring anyone down i know how easy it is to read somethng and think oh well no hope but thats not the case. I know from experience you can get better its just i feel so low at the monent i felt the need to share but i dont want to make anyone feel bad.

 

Do you sleep with background noise going? Try using some noise like rain or fireplace, or run a fan or similar, whatever noises work for you. I find this helps when I first wake up.. if you hear the tinnitus loud, try to focus on the background sounds instead

 

This question does indeed come up a lot. You are describing something known as 'the awakening response’. When a sleep cycle is interrupted, the brain responds by shooting adrenaline to the system - a normal, temporary physiological event that can be thought of as an “all hands on deck” reaction of the brain to waking up. Or the no doubt heard before phrase " Fight or Flight" response generated by the limbic system. One of the side effects of this response for many of us is loud tinnitus, and it can occur when we wake up in the morning, after a nap, or when awakening in the middle of the night. It is normal tinnitus behavior and nothing to worry about. The tinnitus calms down when some time passes. And it WILL pass and reset back to its base level.

I get it sometimes after naps etc, but it's not a given that I'll get it every time. I've given up trying to second guess tinnitus, and it's operating system.

The only thing predictable about it, is that it is unpredictable...

 

So true. I have avoided napping since getting T, but sometimes accidentally fallen asleep during the day (like I did yesterday) and so far not had a spike. Yet sometimes at night if I get up too early or fall back asleep for a snooze, it sometimes spikes.

 

Thank you so much for your replies i am in middle of spike for past few days i did have a pattern two gd dsyd one very bad one even tho i wake each morning but since boxing day i have had no peace and it us now in both ears it had predominanly been in right and now and again in left but it has decided to hang around every day since the holidays i am beginning to psnic now! It waz actually really improving chrustmas day fantastic u tht i was habituating again but then out of nowhere came this. Ho hum oh well thsnk you tho for replying.

 

I recently had a longer spike than normal over the Christmas period. It went back down to normal, which I knew it would.
You mention you were beginning to feel ok Christmas day, and then you get a more lengthy spike. Try not to let the panic and dark thoughts set in too much. I know it's crap, but just last it out best you can. The brain will settle down again soon. As all that unresolved anxiety can keep the levels higher than normal. And tinnitus feeds on this.
The more you come through spikes, the more likely you are to tackle them better when they next occur.
That is part of habituation.

Take care...

 

Thank you it is appreciated.

 

Anthony is right. Indeed this was often discussed in the past and that tells you that this 'Awakening Response' is something very common among tinnitus suffereres. I have the darn response for sure as my T usually blasts away when I wake up. I used to cave into panic attacks automatically but now the brain is so used to it that it doesn't give a dime to T whatsoever, high or low. So hang in there. You can handle with this better as time goes on. As far as the mechanism of AR, there are speculations of what really happen. Here is a doctor's point of view about it that I have recorded down:

“I have always felt it to be due to the role of the reticular formation in tinnitus perception. The reticular formation is a primitive structure in the brain stem. It's a "vital sign monitor." When you wake up, the RF checks to see whether or not you are alive! It looks for heartbeat, respirations, blood pressure, temperature - basic bodily signs. It does not care whether or not these signs are good or bad - just that they are present. And as far as the RF is concerned, tinnitus is part of "expected" body function in an individual suffering from severe intrusive tinnitus. So when you wake, your RF checks to see whether or not tinnitus is present. And if it doesn't immediately find the tinnitus, the RF seeks it with a vengeance - - especially in the post-nap state, when there has been inadequate REM sleep and when, therefore, the RF is on already "high alert" that something might not be quite right. Theoretically - very theoretically - this RF hyperactivity in seeking tinnitus, which in a person with severe intrusive tinnitus it equates with life, results in temporarily markedly augmented tinnitus perception.”

 

Thank you makes perfect sense! All i havd to do is try and gst through this bad tine again and try get bak to where i was before christmas. I was so much better even mornings were loud but better somehow. But i do thank you for taking the time to reply it really helps.

 

Yes, I have the same sensation. If the short nap is outdoors, I think its insects, in a pleasant way. Indoors its shrill, but not obnoxious. I can imagine its a forest alive with katydids.

I've mentioned it to the doctor, and just got a blank stare, like he'd never heard of that before, yet I see here its common.

 

This phenomena has been probably the most consistent pattern I've experienced since tinnitus started for me in Feb. 2018. But something "may" have changed today. I was given 3 small vials of sample CBD oil, and took two of them yesterday. I slept better than normal, which I attributed to some kind of calming effect from the oil.

This morning when I was on the acupuncture table, I dozed off for a few minutes, something that would normally send my tinnitus soaring. But it didn't spike at all. I then took a normal afternoon nap, and noticed again that it didn't spike. -- So am cautiously encouraged at this point. What might all happen if I take CBD oil regularly for a few days or weeks? I'll be giving it a try.​

 

This article may give some reasons to the awakening response. Long term stress isn't the sole cause of tinnitus, but the body and mind will program the effects as danger. Reaction from this will happen when one reaches the conscious state where mental fatigue has not been satisfied. Mental fatigue is never really satisfied for those with intrusive tinnitus unless stress in relation to now having tinnitus has been controlled.

There has been some interesting conversation on neuro boards where it's advised to listen to soft music or pink noise after awakening and not a TV or a place where there could be uncontrollable or unexpected noise. After doing this for awhile, take small steps forward with normal sounds. Those with long term stress can see noise as a danger, when it may not always be. Stress is not easily controlled if it's been part of your life, but fear therapy may make a big difference especially for tinnitus spikes.

https://bmcearnosethroatdisord.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/1472-6815-12-4

 

Thank you for replying sounds exactly right. My mental fatigue is never satisfied that explains a lot. I never sleep more than 4 hours in a row which causes me to wake early then i am too scared go bak to sleep in case it strts it off really loudly. Can u tell me something about fear therapy?

 

@Kathy Warren Hi Kathy When children or older adults enter a hospital for long term treatment one needed undertaking to consider is their fear level. Not all hospitals practice this, but some have a care giving team of three or four that between them can cover the clock 24/7. All large children hospitals or children units have care givers that specialize in physiological psychological phenomena. When there's critical illness, the mind and body needs to be friends as much as humanly possible. Fear is understandable and mindfulness therapy is given to needed fearful patients. Pretending overcomes fear by placing oneself in a safe place. A place where a patient can mind travel to at anytime during the day or night.

Many with a neuro condition will have a fear of noise unless they have been able to come to terms with their neuro condition. This would include tinnitus where mindfulness and sound therapy may help. All parts of the brain associated with tinnitus are also associated with noise/sound and fear. Not only noise from external, but the sound level of tinnitus itself.

This link will explain some of this. Within the first case example, replace the word death with tinnitus.
https://www.goodtherapy.org/learn-about-therapy/issues/fear

 

Just as a supplement: Some people describe worsening after a short slumber as an example of somatic influence. Perhaps the head lay very unfavourably during the short sleep period (perhaps in a chair?)

 

For the first time in months I woke up with mild tinnitus... going thru the day was like a new life... thought this was too good to be true and didn't want to over do it so I decided to take a quick nap which I normally never do.

WRONG!!! Woke up with severe tinnitus for the rest of the day.

Crazy... who the hell knows what the hell to do...

 

When I wake up it's so loud but after 1 or 2 smokes it reduces the ringing by 40% this is the only relief I get but if I take a nap during the day it comes back with a vengeance.

 

Just add me to the list. Exactly like the rest of you have reported so apparently the modality of our tinnitus is the same.
With me, in spite of aging and mostly hidden hearing loss...loss of some high's etc, I suspect a strong somatic influence.

I am a swimmer. I can get out of the pool with ears full of water. If I dance on one foot with head tilted to one side to shake the water out of my lower ear, my tinnitus can spike each time I touch the ground on one foot. It sounds like hitting a tambourine. So pressure inside my head in my case at least seems to be an underlying mechanism.

Sleep 'dramatically' affects mine and don't know why. It does seem to correlate to my dream pattern. Happier dreams less of a spike waking. Terrifying dreams, big spike waking up...presuming cortisol level increases but absolutely no idea.

My hope as a Somatic suffer like the rest of you...is help is on the way to make our lives better with all the approaches to solving this riddle being studied. Most notably with reported 83% efficacy, bi-modal stimulation to redirect neuron firing. My hope.

We are all in this together and by pure will to live, we somehow survive. For most of us, this came out of nowhere...family and friends don't know what to make of it 'if' we even tell them...and the last thing we ever expected is this bizarre torture would invade our lives.

 

Yep me too .. it's at the point where if I feel myself drifting off watching a boring TV show I try to make sure I don't sleep because every single time I wake up with a big tinnitus spike and it will then run atleast until a full nights sleep. It only takes 15 minutes of a nap to start it up. It dosn't matter if my head is supported, leaning back or to the side.

There are so many anecdotal reports about this I wish more studies could be done to work out exactly wtf is going on in our heads. It's obviously not coming from the ears.

 

As you say, has to be a reason. Look at how many of us on this forum are exactly the same.
Must have something to do with how the brain interacts with the auditory cortex when we sleep. Obviously, we are less in tune with outside noise when we sleep. We somewhat turn this off...or turn it down. Many of us can sleep for many hours with no recollection of tinnitus 'while we sleep'. But wake up which puts our brain in a different wave state and bam. There may even be scientists that understand the underlying mechanism.

My hope is...as we march toward either therapies or a cure longer term...and there are so many promising avenues to making us like the countless others without tinnitus...great hearing or not...is this sleep dynamic doesn't continue or is seriously abated by whatever therapy emerges....like Neuromod.

 

Maybe this?
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0378595516301186
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0960982219307845

"The cochlea harbours a robust circadian clock machinery."

 

For me, the shorter amount of time I sleep, the worse it is. There's been times when I dozed off for only a minute or so, and the tinnitus was raging when I woke up. It's louder after an hour nap, but usually not nearly as loud as after drifting off for just a minute or two.