Anyone not use sound at night?

I've had tinnitus for 4 months now, still very much struggling. I have various noises in each ear and a general high pitched hissing in head. Up until now I've managed to sleep with just having the window open for some background noise but last couple of nights I've been struggling. Starting to think I'm doing myself an injustice trying to keep the bedroom like it was 'pre-tinnitus', i.e quiet! Anyone else not use sound at night?

[_Barnabas]

Hi Angel_D

Sorry to hear that you are struggling - many of us are in the same boat. Initially I tried to avoid using sound enrichment believing I could habituate quicker if I just learned to live with the noise. However if the T raises your stress levels and interferes with sleep then clearly this makes things worse which is the conclusion I came to. Now I use sound if I am having a tough time but if not then I leave it off. I think anything that helps keep you calm and feeling in control will help to habituate as long as you don’t mask the T completely. I’m currently doing an online CBT programme to help accept the T and not let it dominate every moment of my day. It’s early days but think I’m making some progress.

[BambooFighting]

I did for years, but this year I developed some kind of reactive tinnitus that gives audio from machines a weird whine, so I stopped, though sometimes I put talk radio on.

[FallenAngel83]

I used soothing tranquil running water & birdsong for months after I developed tinnitus last June, throughout the day & night along with a fan during the summer months. I don’t use a fan now & only use sound occasionally x Things will definitely improve but for now use sound therapy to help you x

[Vuelta1]

I use to have a sound machine on at night in the beginning but for me I found that by having the machine on I was focusing more on my T. Prior to suffering with T I had never had anything playing through the night, so I found I was more restless with the sound machine on. I stopped using the machine and just opened the window and listened to the natural noises outside. I’ve had T constantly for two years, night time is the worst time as I’m sure it is for almost everyone but I go to bed either focusing on natural noises outside or if it’s especially quiet outside, I drift off to sleep telling my T to “ get lost and tell myself it’ll not get the better of me and focus on imagining winning the lottery. Sounds odd, but most nights I envisage winning the lottery and before I know it, I’ve drifted off to sleep. I was a bad sleeper prior to T, so when I wake up during the night, I lie there do some breathing exercises and start imaging winning the lottery again or if I something exciting to look forward to, like an event or holiday etc.. I focus on that and how lovely that will be. I appreciate that’s difficult to think about because of the current circumstances so I’m back to my huge imaginary lottery win ☺️. I would also recommend CBT/TRT.. Honestly, I think it works wonders in being able to learn to cope with Tinnitus.

[Happyrosie in reply to Vuelta1]

Hello Vuelta # I do most of what you do but I’ve not tried the lottery one!!! Sounds like a plan! I’m a churchgoer so I find a couple of prayers (commonly known ones which I probably learned as a child) are very useful in keeping me calm and focussed on breathing and hence sleep.

[doglover1973 in reply to Vuelta1]

How do you access cbt / trt? I'm willing to try everything.

[safman]

Hi my tinnitus is also a high pitched hiss and I havent used sound for about 6 months didnt see the point anymore .Tinnitus is so loud i can hear it over sound which means I end up with 2 annoying sounds.I can hear it over everything.

[spikything]

I just prefer to sleep with some background noise now - so much so, that I developed a free app to mix my favourite sleeping sounds (rain on window, white noise, thunder, etc), called Relaxify - Nature sounds for sleep and relaxation

[Guineapiggy in reply to spikything]

Don't want to give your app a bad review on Google Play as I think the sounds seem good but I need to use it at night and I can't turn the tablet screen off. It just keeps coming on and I don't want the light.

[spikything in reply to Guineapiggy]

Odd - which tablet do you have? I made it only so that, if you've set an alarm, it notifies you of that once the app goes into the background. Works fine on all the devices I've tested - but there are A LOT of different devices and Android versions out there

[Guineapiggy in reply to spikything]

It's a Samsung Galaxy Tab A. I use a fan app and that keeps running when I turn off the screen, so I assume yours would do the same.

[spikything in reply to Guineapiggy]

Whether an app CAN stay running when in the background actually depends on Android's internal guesswork (power usage firewall they call it). Messaging apps (or apps PRETENDING to be messaging apps) get priority. I think I know someone with a Tab A, so I'll do some testing - thanks.

[T1nny in reply to spikything]

Is this free app on the AppStore?

[spikything in reply to T1nny]

Android only at the moment, sorry Apple charge too much just to keep an app live on the store - and, combined with the other hoops to jump through (such as having to upload the app to the store from a Mac, which I don't own), I've not current plans to create an iOS version. Instead, I may at some point work out how to create what is called a PWA version of the app - so we won't even need an app store at all

[T1nny in reply to spikything]

OK. I've got an android tablet so I'll check it out. Thnx

[T1nny in reply to T1nny]

Is there a timer on this app?

[Hidden]

I tried some background sound last night but it seemed to make my tinnitus louder, like it was trying to compete with it! Can't win......

[Seetje]

Hello Angel_D,I have the same noises,a kinda static in my head,and in each ear a different beep,it's been 3 months now,have you any diagnosis?Been doing tests to find the cause?I don't use any background noise,I stay up late,until I'm so tired,that I usually get to sleep ,but the sleep deprivation does get a bit difficult during the day.Am also struggling.Sending you strenght.

[Hidden in reply to Seetje]

Sorry to hear you are in the same situation. I've seen an ENT consultant, nothing found. Got an MRI scan coming up but nervous that it'll make the tinnitus worse and doubtful anything will be found anyway.

[Seetje]

Having read so many stories of other people,I am also very doubtfull anything will be found.And having doctors do the examinations to find out, is in many cases like a crusade.So I think we've got a difficult journey ahead.I cannot start to think about living with this Tinitus,if not everything has been done, to find the cause.I need that to have some peace of mind,otherwise I won't be able to let go.I have read some people mentioning having had a MRI,and that it did not make their Tinitus worse,so I hope this will also be the case for you.Wishing you good luck and lots of strenght.

[T1nny]

The MRI scan won't make things worse but the machine is V LOUD so you might want to use ear plugs for the duration.

There's a great app out there called Relax Melodies that let's you configure all kinds of nature sounds etc - I find it v useful at night for sleep and nodding off.

Hope this helps.