Why tinnitus worse at night

The ringing in one or both ears is not a real noise but a complication of a medical issue like hearing loss, either permanent or temporary. Of course, knowing what it is will not explain why you have this ringing, buzzing or swishing noise more often at night.

The truth is more common sense than you might think. To know why your tinnitus increases as you try to sleep, you need to understand the hows and whys of this very common medical problem.

To say tinnitus is not a real sound just adds to the confusion, but, for most people, that is true. Tinnitus alone is not a disease or condition, but a sign that something else is wrong. It is typically associated with significant hearing loss. For many, tinnitus is the first sign they get that their hearing is at risk.

Hearing loss tends to be gradual, so they do not notice it until that ringing or buzzing starts. This phantom noise works like a flag to warn you of a change in how you hear. Tinnitus is one of medical sciences biggest conundrums. Doctors do not have a clear understanding of why it happens, only what it usually means. Instead of suffering in silence, you can look to some technological sleep aids to help you get through the night.

White noise machines are your frontline defense against the ringing in your ears that prevents you from falling asleep. They produce an audible, yet unobtrusive noise that helps mask your tinnitus symptoms.

Even a small fan that you keep on your nightstand could produce the right level of noise to help you drift off to sleep. These headphones have a long battery life and are designed to counteract the symptoms of tinnitus. You can also use them during the daytime since most of these headphones are Bluetooth compatible.

Some people find that artificial sweeteners or alcohol can cause tinnitus to be worse at night. Eating or drinking things that contain caffeine such as coffee, tea, chocolate, or soda after 1 PM can affect your sleep quality and make your tinnitus worse. Like we mentioned before, tinnitus is impacted by your blood pressure, and foods that have a high caffeine content make your blood pressure spike.

Pay attention to your symptoms and notice whether they are worse after you eat certain foods or other substances. Keeping a food journal can help you track your diet and notice patterns. Once you get a handle on your food habits, you can then make some changes to your diet to reduce the ringing in your ears while you sleep. Typically the end of the day becomes quieter as people prepare to rest and begin to get ready to go to sleep. The lack of sounds happening naturally creates an environment, such as reduced traffic noise, tv, radio, etc.

Less sound to interpret from the inner ear means the brain wants to send more sounds back out. Having a steady background noise for some people suffering from tinnitus can reduce the ringing sounds from happening, especially at night when needing to get some sleep. If suffering from tinnitus, consider keeping a fan running in the background or using a white noise machine.

White noise machines can be beneficial to create an assortment of background noises such as constant white noise, sounds of nature, or even soft music. Please contact us to start to find permanent relief from your tinnitus? Your email address will not be published. My personal preference, however, is to use a portable Bluetooth speaker combined with one of the hundreds of sound therapy apps available in the app store on your phone.

This option provides a virtually infinite number of masking sounds for you to try, and offers a much higher quality of sound compared to simply using the speakers on your smartphone. One reason that many people struggle to fall asleep is racing thoughts. The endless and rapid mental chatter we often experience is usually the result of trying to hold too many thoughts in our mind at once.

We mentally juggle all the random tidbits, ideas, and information that we want to remember whether we realize it or not , and that makes it difficult to fall asleep. When you add tinnitus into the mix, the intrusive thoughts and anxiety only make the problem worse. But you can quiet your thoughts and calm your mind by taking a few minutes to write down all of your thoughts on a piece of paper before you get in bed.

This can really help to release it all from your mind. Simply go to bed and set your alarm to wake you up at the same time every day. When you go to bed and wake up at different times each day, it can create a physiological state similar to jet lag, which can prevent you from getting the deep restorative sleep you need.

One of the most helpful things you can do to fall asleep faster is establish a relaxation routine that you follow each evening before you go to bed. Many common nighttime activities like watching TV or playing on your phone can actually make it harder to fall asleep. Instead, create a routine that promotes relaxation and calm to help deal with the stress and anxiety of tinnitus. Anything that relaxes you mentally or physically is going to be helpful here.

The goal is to do whatever you can to calm your over-agitated nervous system. Whatever relaxation techniques you choose, just be consistent and follow the same routine each night. When we are awake during the day, sunlight causes our bodies to secrete daytime hormones. Unfortunately, the bright blue light spectrum emitted from our phones, televisions, computers and many other screens mimics sunlight and causes the brain to stop secreting melatonin. As a result, watching TV, playing on your phone, reading on your iPad, or working on your computer can all worsen sleep problems.

Ideally, you want to turn off all backlit screens for at least 90 minutes before you go to bed. This is your best way to ensure you get a good night sleep. The simplest option is to get a pair of glasses that block the blue light spectrum.

You can find many inexpensive blue light blocking glasses on Amazon, or you can opt for more expensive options like the famous Blublocker brand.

The other option is to install an app on your mobile devices and computer that will dim the screen and apply a red tinted filter that turns off most of the blue light spectrum. Use F. Lux for Computers and Twilight for Android Devices. Apple devices typically have a blue light filter setting called Night Shift that you can set to turn on automatically or manually. Many newer Android devices have similar settings as well. A pitch-black bedroom can often make it much easier to fall asleep and also stay asleep longer in the morning.