Are you being kept awake by ringing in your ears? It’s not necessary. Here are a few guidelines for quieting that irritating, persistent sound so you can sleep better.
Your sleep cycles can be significantly impacted by moderate to severe tinnitus. During the day, you’re preoccupied with noise and activity so your tinnitus might seem less noticeable. But tinnitus can seem louder and more disturbing at night when it’s not as loud.
The good news is, if you would like to fall asleep easier, there are some things you can do.
Below are 5 tips to falling asleep despite your tinnitus.
1. Don’t Resist The Noise
Although this may sound difficult, if you pay attention to it, it gets worse. If you start to get frustrated, your blood pressure goes up and this makes tinnitus symptoms worse. You will feel worse the more you think about it and your aggravation will increase. You can make the sound fade away a little by thinking about something else and utilizing the following techniques.
2. Establish a Nighttime Routine
Condition your body to get sleepy at the right time by creating good sleep habits like dimming the lights, winding down at least a half an hour before you go to bed, and going to bed at the same time each night. This will make it much easier to fall asleep when you’re ready.
Tinnitus has also been linked to stress. Creating habits to lower your stress level before you go to bed can also help, such as:
- Bathing
- Doing a quick meditation or a deep breathing exercise
- Doing yoga and stretching
- Staying away from alcohol
- At least a few hours before bed, avoid eating
- Listening to quiet sounds or soft music
- Turn down the heat in your bedroom
- Focusing on thoughts that make you happy and relaxed
- Reading a book in a peaceful room
- At least an hour before bed time, dim the lights
Getting into a predictable routine before bed helps you shift from the stresses of the day into night and teaches your body to transition into sleep.
3. Watch What You Eat
There are known triggers to tinnitus like alcohol and artificial sweeteners. If you find, after tracking your diet and symptoms, that specific foods trigger or worsen your tinnitus, make it a practice to steer clear of them. You might feel that you still need your morning coffee, but avoid caffeine in the afternoon or at nights.
4. Avoid Common Causes of Tinnitus
Ringing or other noises in your ears can be caused by many things. Addressing the cause can help prevent tinnitus or make it better. Here are a few things you can do to help:
- To determine whether one of your medications is triggering tinnitus symptoms consult your doctor
- Use headphones at a lower volume instead of earbuds
- Assess your lifestyle to determine whether you’re subjected to loud noises (and how to limit exposure)
- If you have anxiety or depression, get it treated
- Use ear protection
- Get help for underlying conditions like high blood pressure
- Make an appointment for your annual examination
You might be able to better deal with it if you can determine what’s causing the ringing.
5. Make an Appointment to See a Hearing Specialist
A professional hearing test can help you find possible solutions as well as identify what might be causing your tinnitus. There are several ways hearing professionals can help you control your tinnitus including:
- Fitting you for hearing aids designed to cancel out the noise
- Enrolling in therapy to train your brain to not hear the tinnitus
- Help you handle thought patterns shown to make tinnitus worse by suggesting cognitive behavior therapy
To speed up recovery and sleep better at night, seek professional help. To find out if you can get some help with your tinnitus, schedule your appointment with a hearing care specialist.