Hi all
Any advice on how you manage your tinnitus when you wake up. I’m finding this extremely difficult. When I wake up, it’s all I can hear and piercing. I’m aware I probably focus on it at this time and need to shift my focus, but can’t help being super aware.
Other than getting up to distract myself, be great to have some other ideas as I would sometimes just like to relax in bed for a while before getting up, especially if I’ve woke up very early and can’t go back to sleep.
Didn't take me long to discard my radio alarm and have a proper radio by my bedside. With 10 presets and wired cheapo headphones (cheapo, in case of roll over on them while unconscious, but they're still going strong). I've a shelf above my bed and I put in a hook to suspend the headphone wire from, because wire tangle is going to happen otherwise.
Adapt and survive!
can you tell me what headphones you buy , my cheap ones fall apart very quickly. Maybe thats cos I sleep with them in 🙂
Sony MDR ZX310 bought from Argos. I don't think they come any more lightweight either!
I listen to it and tell myself it's just noise. Mindfulness time. This suits my routine as I wake up early. I put the kettle on. I'll either stand in the kitchen or sit in the living room. it's the only time where I find there are few noises - apart from the boiling kettle. I then sit with my coffee and try to do other tasks such as reading.
My tinnitus can easily be triggered by the slightest noise.
Hi Rabb5
I asked my Audiologist the very same question as, having Musical Ear Syndrome, I awaken to rolling drums and the familiar (although undefined) music that I hear at a very loud level. It is apparently something that most people experience. Her advice was to try and embrace it rather than get angry. What works for me is usually do a few breathing exercises, then get absorbed with Wordle and Blossom, anything really for distraction. x
A good question and as I’ve just this minute woken up I’ll explain in real time.
Usually the first thing is to put my HAs in. These have the function to play a background sound. At the moment as I lay here I can hear someone asleep and birds singing outside. That is a natural distraction. I used to get up and dash downstairs to a laptop to watch or listen to something. That’s helpful but also not helpful. I find it better to make a drink and do something ‘normal’ rather than artificially trying to press the noise from my head with another noise.
As others have said it’s like mindfulness but adapted to a your life rather than paying more attention to it. Doesn’t always work if I’m tried, stressed or ill but a method. If I stay in bed I put my speaker pillow onto playing rain.
I hope this is in anyway helpful and chances are I’ve forgotten something so if I remember I’ll come back to update this.
Also apologies for the word ‘normal’ I am tired and as I lay here bashing keys, I can’t not think of a better alternative. I know there is no such thing as normal and some can find it offensive.
That said very best - G
Try the App Headspace meditation section, learn how to meditate takes time but I find I can distract my mind, Lucky for me I am also slightly deaf so hearing aids in bussing out!!
Hi, When I started with T, I had the same problems as you that as soon as my eyes opened the noise was there, I just had to get out of bed and to try and focus on something else, but now I can lay in bed after waking up and just think it`s just a sound in my head and count my self lucky that being 73 years old that`s my only ailment. I understand how T is so frustrating at first but over time it does get easier to accept it, Good Luck
As time has progressed I've found myself able to ignore the T. Definitely putting HA means I can lie in bed and not feel too stressed out. The HA has really helped me. I am still getting spikes, and believe I may have found something that triggers my T, so I've been trying to confirm either way - so it's spiking at the moment, annoying but I'm not too bothered.
I have found that now I can hear again, that has reduced the anger/anxiety/stress levels, so first thing I put the HA in. I have occasionally played a sound machine if I'm spiking. In the week as working I get up and just get going, gym, get ready etc so don't notice too much.
I have the same, but I just hop in the shower, confess the noise of the water and force of it masks it for a while, then I can just wear my hearing aids and play some relaxing music or use one of my many Tcapos and play either rain and thunder or fire crackling noises for a wee while. But don't play anything louder than the T or the T will only get louder. I learnt this the hard way and took ages for me to recover from it.
Yes I also made that mistake , still do sometimes .
I use a Bluetooth headband when I sleep, and wouldn't know how to manage without it!
Hi....I do deep belly breathing to calm my nervous system when this happens and try not to cry!!! it's very unpleasant especially when you just want to get on with your day.
The initial shock of getting up immediately after I awaken drives my T crazy and gets me on the wrong footing to take on the day. I allow for 1/2 - 1 hour of "adjustment" time before I make the move to get up. I spend that time browsing my phone or listening to some music. My stress level is much lower along with my T.
I tend to get out of bed, have a glass of water, make a cup of coffee, feed the cats, and then go back to bed if I want to. Just doing something else for a few minutes really helps and then I have my coffee to look forward to. Listening to the radio if your hearing is good can work as well. I do a few things on the iPad.
over the years the volume has gone down,but you really dont want stupid noises first thing.i treat t as the enemy ,swear at it call it names belittle it.i wake up to tick tick tick.stupid noises again.so i have a coffee and tell it to f off😐sometimes it does,sometimes pinching my nose and blowing works,sometimes a blast of loud music from my radio ear phones works.its so nice when it stops for a while,high time someone worked it out and came up with a cure🙂
made me laugh. 😂
thanks for all the advice
thanks for this post as I find this difficult too. I’m tired when I wake up but immediately feel distressed n it’s very challenging, I do the same as others such as tv on by my bed or jump in the shower. Or get my hearing aids in quickly n listen to the radio through them for a while.
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