Sleep aids

[Cityfan1]

Hoping that people can pass on what they use to help sleep with T. Realise there are likely to be a number of replies through various posts, but be good to hear what works for people on this thread if possible. ..on another note are steroids likely to spike tinnitus? Just finishing a 5 day course prescribed for Meniere's which is my latest diagnosis and T has been bad. Currently in a circle where no sleep (3 nights) affects Meniere's, which in turn affects tinnitus, which in turn affects sleep...thank you in advance for any thoughts, advice and what works for you.

[Ana20]

Hi! Ihave been suffering from T for a long time , almost 17 years. Since 2017 it has got worse.

I’ve had the same sleeping problems as all the other people with T.

I can manage my sleep now with: Melatonine Retard(not daily) and Imovane ( a sleeping pill prescribed by my GP),1/2 when I wake up around 2-3 am . The problem is that I am able to fall asleep but I wake up after-3 or 4 hours.

I have noticed that my sleep has improved a little bit since I started taking a shock dose of Vit D , one per week.

Good health!

[Philip6]

You could try Kirkland sleep aid pills. They are excellent. Antihistamine based and not addictive. Take one 30 mins before bed. Costco or eBay.

[Happyrosie]

Other posters in the past have also been helped by Night-Time HTP. Personally I found it didn’t work for me!

It’s absolutely normal, as you get older, to have interrupted sleep, it’s one of the joys of growing older.

One thing I like to do, when I can’t sleep, is to repeat something to myself (I like to say Psalm 23, The Lord Is My Shepherd which I find very soothing) and if I’m still awake after an hour I get up and read a book until I feel sleepy.

[doglover1973 in reply to Happyrosie]

I like Psalm 23 too Rosie. Wonderful words 🙂

[doglover1973]

Hi Cityfan1 I'm sorry you're having a rough time. It's not easy sleeping with T - especially for the first year or so. I took Phenergan for the first six months, then I moved onto 5HTP for another six months. It gets easier as you get used to the sound(s). Give yourself time to adapt. You'll get there.

[Meldge]

Phenegan gave me tinnitus - be careful with antihistamines - I use a small dose of Zopiclone

All antidepressants raise my tinnitus even Trazedone/Mirtazapine.

[doglover1973 in reply to Meldge]

Hi Meldge Sorry to hear Phenergan caused your T . I used it quite sparingly but even so I won't recommend it if there's any chance it could do any damage.

[Karlos99]

something that’s been helping me a little lately is a channel I found on YouTube. It’s called Sleep Deeper: Live Better by Mark Bowden. It’s guided hypnosis. The videos are 7-8 hours long and really help with relaxation. I take magnesium glycinate and listen to that. Even nights I don’t manage any sleep I seem to feel better the next day after listening to it. Good luck.

[Cityfan1]

Thank you all for your replies, much appreciated. I plan to try a few of the ideas suggested, it's such a minefield!

[Kellythecat-74]

I have a radio tuned to LBC. Also use an earphone all the time even when going to sleep. Yes it does come out during the night but still got the radio on.

[OceanSun]

Hi Cityfan1 , my SnoozeBand has really helped me to sleep with tinnitus. I find it comfortable enough and I use it with the soundscapes in the Calm app. Means I can be listening to background noise without forcing my partner to listen to it too.

My head is on the small side so it often comes off during the night but it's already done its job at that point!

[PanPilot]

I stream BBC Sounds on my mobile, at a minimal level, as close to my head as I can get it (tried earbuds, but I find they are uncomfortable after a while). There are lots of archive programmes which you can use without really listening to, if that's not a stupid statement - nothing too interesting, which defeats the object!

I also take a minimum dose of Amitryptiline which seems to help a little in achieving deeper sleep. A small bowl of warm milky porridge or similar before bed can help (the theory is that it diverts blood to your digestive system and away from your brain). Try not to have anything more than a short nap during the day.

Hope it helps... Good luck !

[Kellythecat-74]

In January this year I took 5 statins and my virtually inaudible T returned. 10 months later its still here , single screech and very high . Still Gutted.

[ImproveYourLifestyle]

Hello Cityfan1,

I'm glad this group exist and feel relieved that there are many struggling with a similar issue.

My tinnitus unfortunately started this August, first in one year, then in both after one month. A high tone permanent noise.

I do realise that when I'm unable to relax or more stressed the sound increases so a gentle advise is try to find what helps you calming down. I try to push myself to do some breathing excercise, really like Wim Hof breathing techniques on youtube, also using a mediation app but doubt is helping very much at the moment.

The worse part of the day is trying to fall asleep, staying asleep and waking up. A private ENT specialist prescribed me Clonazepan initially and i think it did reduce slightly my T and helped me falling asleep for a longer time. However my GP advised against it as it is an addictive pill and not good for you on the long run. So I was prescribed Promethazine which is a drowsy antihistamine, less effective, in fact for me it takes about 1.5 hours to help me fall asleep but no many side effects listed and most importantly it isn't addictive. I also find that the sleeping snooze band helps at night time, and I find it useful to play natural sounds like the rain, the ocean or similar.

Nothing works great yet and I am still at the early stage of T so haven't habituated at all yet. Hope my experience helps some reader. I find that reading your stories comforts me and motivates me to find always some other alternative to how to tackle some of those symptoms.

Wish you all the bests.