Ringing in your ears stopping you from sleeping? You don’t have to just live with it. If you want to get a better nights sleep, think about these tricks to tone down this annoying persistent noise.
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 tinnitus can seem louder and more stressful at night when it’s not as loud.
The good news is, if you want to have an easier time falling asleep, there are some things you can do.
Below are 5 tips to falling asleep in spite of your tinnitus.
1. Don’t Resist The Noise
Although this might sound difficult, if you pay attention to it, it becomes worse. This is in part because for most people higher blood pressure can worsen tinnitus symptoms. 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
Establishing good sleep habits like 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 feel sleepy at the correct time. When you’re ready to fall asleep it will be easier.
Stress has also been related to tinnitus. It also helps to build habits to de-stress before bed.
- Doing deep breathing or a short meditation
- Stretching or doing yoga
- Concentrating on thoughts that make you happy and relaxed
- Staying away from alcohol
- At least a few hours before bed, avoid eating
- Sitting in a quiet room and reading a book
- reduce the heat in your bedroom
- At least an hour before bed time, dim the lights
- Taking a bath
- Listening to quiet sounds or relaxing music
Getting into a predictable schedule before going to bed helps you shift away from the stresses of the day into night and teaches your body to transition into sleep.
3. Watch What You Eat
Artificial sweeteners and alcohol are well-known triggers for tinnitus. If you find, after monitoring your diet and symptoms, that specific foods trigger or worsen your tinnitus, make it a habit to steer clear of them. Caffeine is also a trigger so at least avoid having any in the afternoon and at night.
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 prevent tinnitus or make it better. You can do a few things to help:
- To determine whether one of your medications is causing tinnitus symptoms consult your doctor
- If you suffer from anxiety or depression, get it taken care of
- so that you can determine whether your subjected to loud noises, and how to reduce that exposure, you have to assess your lifestyle
- Don’t use earbuds…use headphones instead and keep the sound level low
- Get help for underlying conditions such as high blood pressure
- Go for your annual examination
- Use ear protection
You might be able to better manage it if you can identify what’s causing the ringing.
5. Get Examined by a Hearing Care Specialist
A professional hearing examination can help you find potential solutions as well as identify what might be causing your tinnitus. Professionals can help you handle your tinnitus in several ways such as:
- Help you handle thought patterns shown to make tinnitus worse by recommending cognitive behavior therapy
- Help you train your brain to not hear tinnitus by signing you up for therapy
- Scheduling a noise canceling hearing aid fitting
Professional help can speed up recovery and assist you to sleep better at night. To find out if you can get some help with your tinnitus, schedule your appointment with a hearing care specialist.