What Is the Benefit of Sound Enrichment?

I remember someone telling me to play sounds of nature while sleeping or “sound enrichment”.

What is the benefit of this?

Currently I have zero problems sleeping in a completely quiet room and fall asleep with a few minutes every night and stay asleep the entire night.

Will I still benefit from it?

 

It helped me habituate to mild tinnitus. It helps push the tinnitus further back so its not always intrusive. Now I play it full blast to mask my severe tinnitus. Sound oasis helps with hyperacusis as well.

 

@Michael Leigh believes that there is a benefit.

Based on my own experiences, I think that the only benefit to enrichment is to help you fall asleep.

 

You're sleeping soundly. Why bother?

 

@Michael B @Dankmemes

The brain and auditory system never switch off. If a person with tinnitus especially if it is intrusive, sleeps in a quiet room, the brain has the ability to increase its background activity. It will search for sound from the outside environment. In doing so the tinnitus increases too and will make it louder and more intrusive over time. Evidence of the brain and auditory system never switching off is well known. Relatives and friends of someone in a coma for instance, are encouraged by doctors to talk to the person, as the auditory system is the last sense to go and the first to return.

By using sound enrichment at night, it helps the brain to suppress it's background activity and thus helping the tinnitus to not increase. Sound enrichment should be kept at a low level so it is not drawing attention to itself like a radio. Nature sounds are preferred as they do not evoke emotion and can easily be dismissed unlike music. During the day, if one chooses to use music for sound enrichment this is perfectly fine. Again, the purpose is to provide low level background ambiance, so relaxing music such as classical is ideal.

Michael

 

Playing sound enrichment at a level that masks (covers-up) the tinnitus is not a good idea. By masking the tinnitus so it can't be heard, you are not allowing your brain to habituate to it. It is better to play sound enrichment slightly below the tinnitus if possible. Even if the tinnitus is a lot louder try not to play sound enrichment at a matching level.

Michael

 

What about the evidence of the brain making T louder as a result of silence at night?!

What you have is a theory. My theory is that being exposed to sound at night creates additional stress on one's auditory system and the brain and as a result, one's T might get louder. In any case, one ought to try it both ways and see which theory seems to be true as far as one's body is concerned.

 

No actually, it's a fact based on many years living with tinnitus and corresponding with people with the condition. Sound enrichment will not suit everyone. Therefore, the choice is up to them whether they wish to use it or not. I still use it after 22 years.

Michael

 

I tried both, sleeping in silence and sleeping with sound. I did not notice any difference. The problem (or should i say luckily), when i use sound enrichment, i can´t use the right volume, because when i use 1 or 2 on my iphone i don´t even hear it next to my bed and with volume 3 my T is already covered.

I think i´ll just use it when my T bothers me more than other days.

 

You are not using sound enrichment correctly and therefore you will not notice the benefits. Firstly, using a phone is not ideal because it has a small speaker. Therefore, sound quality and volume will not be sufficient. Use a dedicated sound machine by "Oasis" who make them specifically for people with tinnitus. I assure that you will realize the difference in quality.

One can use a phone by either blue-toothing it to an external speaker or a connect to docking station with speakers. Nature sounds should be used. Another thing. Sound enrichment takes time to get used to . Some people are not patient and don't give themselves time to adjust. Prior to your onset of tinnitus you probably slept in a completely silent room. This is what your brain is used to and what you're familiar with. Tinnitus for some people can be life changing and requires transition to a new way of life and eventually to habituation. Give yourself time to make the adjustment, at least 2 months.

Michael

 

This fact is definitely not true for me and a number of others who had posted here.

 

I am not getting into a long winded debate about this Bill. I replied to the author's enquiry upon seeing your message via PM.

All the best
Michael

 

Thanks, maybe i´ll try it in the future.

 

I am not saying that there is anything wrong with what you said. I am sure that it is true for many people. I am just saying that one ought to figure out what works best for them.

 

I use a sound machine at night, but that's because T upsets my sleep and I just can't sleep. The sound machine ocean setting works well for me. My sound machine has different settings. If you need to use a sound machine for T use it.

 

Another component of sound enrichment is the emotional aspect of it. After years, I've come to rely on mine and feel a sense of peace the moment I hear it.

 

So playing nature sounds at a very low volume at night can actually make tinnitus louder in the long run?

Is masking dangerous?

 

A person with tinnitus is advised to sleep using sound enrichment. Many Audiologists and Hearing Therapists advise patients to do this. The brain and auditory system never turn off until we die. Proof of this is when a person is in a coma, doctors sometimes advise family members to talk to the patient as the brain is still operational.

In a quiet room the brain has the ability to increase its background activity, which can also increase the tinnitus making it louder and more intrusive during waking hours. We are all different and sometimes people prefer to sleep in a quiet room and that is fine.

Masking tinnitus covering it up with a sound so the tinnitus cannot be heard is not good, as it can aggravate it. Sound enrichment is not the same as masking. The idea is to keep the sound below the tinnitus.

 

Thanks Michael. I do leave some quiet time during sleeping. I use nature sounds for 4 hours per night.

I assume they also can't cause hyperacusis in the long run, right?

 

Jim, try to work towards having sound enrichment playing throughout the entire night until morning.

I have been using sound enrichment at night for 20 years and have no hyperacusis. Sound enrichment used correctly treats tinnitus and hyperacusis, it does not cause harm. Hyperacusis often accompanies noise induced tinnitus. When a person has noise induced tinnitus and develops hyperacusis months or years afterwards, it's usually caused by exposure to loud noise or sounds that have irritated existing tinnitus that has increased.

Michael

 

Sorry to come back to this but can sound enrichment be done with a phone? I don't have the financial capacity to buy an Oasis device, I have already put my parents through a lot of expense.

Can the phone next to my bed playing low level nature sounds provide sound enrichment?

 

A phone isn't the best but will work and is much better than sleeping in a quiet room.

Give yourself plenty of time to get used to using sound enrichment, at least 6 to 8 weeks. Set the volume of the sounds at a level you can comfortably ignore so they are not drawing attention to themselves. Sound enrichment should be played throughout the night until morning.

 

Cool. That sounds promising. What happens if it does work and then I stop it? Does it reverse to its previous state? Will I need to use sound enrichment for the rest of my life?

 

Once you get used to using sound enrichment at night you won't realize it's there. The purpose is to supply your brain and auditory system with sound as a silent environment isn't good for someone with tinnitus and therefore, there's a risk of the tinnitus becoming louder over time if sound enrichment is stopped. I have been using it for over 20 years without any problems.

 

I have seen a lot of people say their tinnitus stabilized after a year or two? That doesn't apply?

 

I am not quite clear the point you are making? If you mean once a person's tinnitus stabilizes or they habituate, it means they no longer need to use sound enrichment during the day or at night, it all depends as it's more complex than that.

Tinnitus comes in many forms and intensities and no two people experience it the same. It is a very common condition. Ask members of your family, friends or co-workers if they have experienced tinnitus and you're likely to be told: "I've had it years and just ignore it. "Mine only bothers me in quiet surroundings but it's nothing". "It plays a funny tune but it's no problem". "Tinnitus is nothing you'll get used to it". Tinnitus is all these things and a lot more.

Most people that visit tinnitus forums regularly for help are a small minority, compared to the millions around the world that find the condition a minor irritant or no problem at all as mentioned above. These people are able to carry on with their life doing everything that they want and may never have attended ENT for help with their tinnitus. They would have habituated after a period of time and don't feel they need sound enrichment at night and that's fine.

All I am saying tinnitus affects each of us differently. However, when a person finds this condition problematic and needs to seek help at ENT or be referred to an Audiologist for treatment such as: CBT, TRT, Counselling, Sound Therapy or medication to help manage the tinnitus, it takes on a whole new meaning. For this reason the people mentioned above in my example, that have successfully habituated or have tinnitus relatively mild, have no idea how debilitating it can be for some people.

One has to experiment to see what works for them. Some people don't use sound enrichment while others do. My reason for using sound enrichment at night is not to induce sleep, it is to supply my brain and auditory system with sound, so the brain doesn't increase its background activity and thus the tinnitus because it can only hear silence.

Michael

 

What I'm trying to say is that if sound enrichment does work, can it permanently reduce the volume of my tinnitus? And if that happens and then I stop it, will the tinnitus then return to its previous levels?

Sorry if that wasn't clear, I'm just trying to understand how sound enrichment works.

Can it actually reduce the perception of tinnitus by the brain?

 

Thank you for the clarification. I want to reiterate that tinnitus can be a complex condition that will affect each person differently. Therefore, no particular treatment will work for everyone and the habituation process will be unique for each individual.

Sound enrichment by itself will not reduce tinnitus long term, as it is only one element that helps the brain to suppress the tinnitus. The others that I feel are of more importance, is the way we interact with it mentally and emotionally. If these are not managed, no amount of sound enrichment will be successful in reducing the perception of tinnitus to any significant degree - although it may assist in distracting one's attention from the noise and help in treating hyperacusis by desensitizing the auditory system.

If a person has noise induced tinnitus with or without hyperacusis and they are stressed, anxious and feel overwhelmed by what they are experiencing, they need to consult with their doctor. They may need to be referred to an Audiologist to help with tinnitus management that might include counselling and medication. Once stress and anxiety begin to to brought under control, coupled with sound enrichment during the day and night will assist in habituation long term.

You have asked: Can sound enrichment actually reduce the perception of tinnitus by the brain?

Providing a person has accepted their tinnitus and is no longer overwhelmed by it, I believe sound enrichment can help the brain to reduce the tinnitus. If sound enrichment is stopped at night, there is a risk of the tinnitus becoming louder over time.

Please go to my started threads and read my post: The Habituation Process, as you might find it helpful.

Michael

 

Thanks for the clarification Michael. I was wondering what were the 6-8 weeks you were saying. Is this the amount of time one can see an improvement with sound enrichment?

 

You are welcome Jim. I believe one should allow a minimum of 6 to 8 weeks to get used to sound enrichment at night. Improvement in tinnitus involves many things as mentioned in my previous post.