Are you being kept up by ringing in your ears? You don’t need to just live with it. Here are some tricks for quieting that annoying, constant noise so you can sleep better.
Your sleep cycles can be dramatically impacted by moderate to severe tinnitus. During the day, you’re distracted by noise and activity so your tinnitus may seem less noticeable. But tinnitus can seem louder and more disturbing at night when it’s quiet.
Luckily, there are a few strategies you can use to fall asleep easier.
Below are 5 techniques to falling asleep in spite of your tinnitus.
1. Don’t Resist The Noise
While this may appear overwhelming, paying attention to the noise actually makes it worse. This is in part because for many people a rise in blood pressure can make tinnitus symptoms worse. You will feel worse the more you think about it and your frustration will get worse. You can make the sound quieter by thinking about something else and employing the following techniques.
2. Follow a Nighttime Schedule
Developing good sleep habits such as winding down at least 30 minutes before bed, dimming the lights and going to bed at the same time every night helps condition your body to be sleepy at the right time. This will make it less difficult to fall asleep when you’re ready.
Stress has also been connected to tinnitus. It also helps to develop habits to de-stress before bed.
- At least a few hours before you go to bed, avoid eating
- Doing deep breathing or a short meditation
- Avoiding alcohol
- Bathing
- Concentrating on thoughts that make you calm and happy
- Listening to soft music or relaxing sounds
- Reading a book in a quiet room
- Turn down the heat in your bedroom
- Stretching or doing yoga
- Dimming the lights at least one hour before bedtime
Training your body to transition into sleep by getting into a predictable regimen before bed helps you transition away from the stresses of the day.
3. Watch What You Eat
Artificial sweeteners and alcohol are known triggers for tinnitus. If you find, after monitoring your diet and symptoms, that specific foods trigger or worsen your tinnitus, make it a practice to stay away from them. You may feel that you still have to have your morning coffee, but avoid caffeine in the afternoon or evening.
4. Avoid Common Causes of Tinnitus
Ringing or other noises in your ears can be caused by many things. Dealing with the cause can help prevent tinnitus or make it better. You can do several things to help:
- Get treatment for depression or anxiety
- Get help for underlying conditions like high blood pressure
- Use ear protection
- Go for your annual checkup
- Review your medications with your doctor to see if one may be causing tinnitus symptoms
- Use headphones at a lower volume instead of earbuds
- In order to determine whether your subjected to loud noises, and how to limit that exposure, you have to assess your lifestyle
If you can discover what’s causing the ringing in your ears, you may be able to manage it better.
5. Make an Appointment to See a Hearing Specialist
A professional hearing examination can help you find potential solutions as well as identify what may be causing your tinnitus. Professionals can help you control your tinnitus in many ways such as:
- Scheduling a noise canceling hearing aid fitting
- Help you deal with thought patterns revealed to make tinnitus worse by suggesting cognitive behavior treatment
- Help you train your brain to not hear tinnitus by enrolling you in 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 expert.