Sleeping Through Tinnitus

Imagine a sound. Maybe it’s a simple buzz or a high-pitched tone. Everywhere you go it follows you. It’s like an invisible bee that’s always there. It’s always perpetually behind you. It’s always at the spot that you can’t see. The sound is there when you eat, when you take a bath, when you sleep (if you can sleep).

This is tinnitus.

It’s annoying and distracting, to the point that it can prevent us from going out and doing the things we want. It’s hard to live with. But unfortunately for the people suffering from tinnitus, they’ll have to live with it.

Living with tinnitus, with that sound, is hard. But not impossible. People learn to cope, one way or another. Sometimes, coping with tinnitus just means taking the time to relax and forget that tinnitus is there. A lot of treatments involve teaching the patient to listen beyond the tinnitus’ sound.

In our lives, there is a natural way for us to relax and forget our worries. We do it every night. It’s called sleep. Sleep refreshes and invigorates us. It dissolves our stresses and it leaves us blissfully unaware of pain, whether it’s the pain of tinnitus or broken bones.

However, sleep is hard to come by for tinnitus patients. Have you ever tried to sleep while an annoying noise buzzes? It’s very hard. Unfortunately, stress contributes to tinnitus and lack of sleep contributes to stress. Without enough sleep, living with tinnitus becomes a living hell. Conversely, getting enough sleep relieves tinnitus. Here are some tips in order to sleep through tinnitus.

1. Keep your bedroom for relaxing and sleeping only. Don’t bring work into your bedroom. If possible, don’t even bring your TV. By setting your bedroom for only this purpose, your subconscious will prompt you to relax as soon as you get inside.
2. Relaxing décor. Neutral and relaxing colors also influence your subconscious to relax. In the bedroom, comfort must be the first rule of decoration.
3. Keep the light out. Our bodies keep time according to the sun, but any strong light source will do. Lights will keep our body awake, so keep them out.
4. Proper air circulation. A dusty and stuffy room will prevent you from sleeping. A fresh bedroom that circulates enough air will help you sleep. You can try aromatherapy candles or scents to make you relax even more.
5. Schedule your sleep. Go to bed everyday at the same time so that your body will understand that it’s sleepy time. This is another way to signal your subconscious. You might just lie in bed awake, at first, but keep on doing this. Your body will get used to it soon enough.
6. Prepare a sleep routine. Have you ever seen a dog circle before it lies down and goes to sleep? Something like this can also help humans. Before going to sleep, do an activity that relaxes you, like reading a book. Not only will it help in relaxing, this is also another subconscious signal for your body to sleep.
7. Watch what you eat. There are some foods and drinks that prevent us from sleeping. Naturally, these should be avoided so it won’t interfere with our sleep. The usual culprits are caffeine, soda, and sugary food.

Sleep peacefully!

Some people try to stay awake the whole day in order to sleep better at night. However, drinking caffeine based stimulants like coffee often aggravates tinnitus. The best way to handle a drowsy afternoon is not to fight it. Napping is the best way to make up for lost sleep. It doesn't disturb your  sleep cycle. It's even linked to lower heart diseases. If you're drowsy, an afternoon nap can help you relax and relieve tinnitus.