Are you being kept awake by ringing in your ears? You don’t need to just live with it. Here are some tips for quieting that aggravating, constant sound so you can get some sleep.
Your sleep cycles can be dramatically affected by moderate to severe tinnitus. In the middle of the day, you’re preoccupied with noise and activity so your tinnitus may seem less noticeable. But at night, when it’s quiet, tinnitus can seem louder and more disturbing.
The good news is, if you want to have an easier time falling asleep, there are some techniques you can use.
Five tricks for falling asleep with tinnitus are presented below.
1. Stop Fighting Against The Noise
While this might seem overwhelming, focusing on the noise actually makes it worse. This is in part because for most people a rise in blood pressure can worsen tinnitus symptoms. So the more aggravated you become thinking about it, the worse you are likely to feel. Focusing on something else and making use of the strategies below can help make the noise seem softer.
2. Follow a Nighttime Routine
Establishing healthy sleep habits like winding down at least 30 minutes before bed, dimming the lights and going to bed at the same time each night helps condition your body to feel sleepy at the correct time. When you’re ready to fall asleep it will be less difficult.
Tinnitus has also been associated with stress. It also helps to build habits to de-stress before bed.
- Turn down the heat in your bedroom
- Stretching or doing yoga
- Sitting in a quiet room and reading a book
- Doing a short meditation or deep breathing
- Avoiding drinking alcohol
- Dimming the lights at least one hour before bedtime
- Bathing
- Avoiding eating a few hours before going to bed
- Listening to quiet sounds or soft music
- Concentrating on thoughts that make you feel happy and calm
Getting into a predictable schedule before bed helps you shift from the stresses of the day into night and trains your body to transition into sleep.
3. Pay Attention to What You Eat
Artificial sweeteners and alcohol are known triggers for tinnitus. If you discover, after monitoring your diet and symptoms, that specific foods trigger or worsen your tinnitus, make it a habit to steer clear of them. You might feel like you still have to have your morning coffee, but avoid caffeine in the afternoon or evening.
4. The Common Causes of Tinnitus Should be Avoided
Ringing or other noises in your ears can be caused by many things. Addressing the cause can help avoid tinnitus or make it better. Here are several things you can do to help:
- If you have inherent conditions like high blood pressure, get help for it
- Evaluate your lifestyle to identify whether you’re exposed to loud noises (and how to limit exposure)
- Get treatment for anxiety or depression
- Go for your annual examination
- Use ear protection
- Use headphones at a lower volume instead of earbuds
- Review your medications with your doctor to see if one may be causing tinnitus symptoms
If you can discover what’s causing the ringing in your ears, you might be able to deal with it better.
5. Get Examined by a Hearing Care Specialist
A professional hearing test can help you find potential solutions as well as identify what may be causing your tinnitus. There are many ways hearing professionals can help you take care of your tinnitus including:
- Scheduling a noise canceling hearing aid fitting
- Enrolling in treatment to train your brain to not hear the tinnitus
- Suggesting cognitive behavioral treatment to deal with thought patterns revealed to make tinnitus worse
To speed up healing and sleep better at night, seek professional help. Schedule an appointment with your hearing care professional to find out if you can get some help with your tinnitus.