Can't Sleep? Try These Suggestions :)

[Purple Parrot]

I've noticed quite a few posts about how people are struggling to sleep with tinnitus - especially new sufferers. I thought it might be worthwhile creating a thread where people can make suggestions about what helped them with getting off to sleep at night.

It would be best if we could keep posts in this thread as positive and constructive as possible!

So here are the things I did helped me to sleep when I first started struggling No, I didn't do all of them at once! That would be stressful and defeat the purpose! These are just suggestions that you might like to try...

1. Lavender and neroli essential oils on my pillow...nice smells can be soothing and take your mind off the noise.

2. Rainymood.com - perfect rain noises. They do a nice little app as well and you can set a timer so it only plays for an hour - perfect for dropping off to sleep.

3. Hot water bottle - once again, the nice warm hot water bottle helped soothe and take my mind off things. On a hot night, I would use a cool face cloth for the same purpose.

4. Shower before bed - alternating between hot and cold water, this stimulates the vagus nerve and helps your body to relax. Weird and counterintuitive but it does work...

5. Pranayama - also known as yogic breathing...before bed this can be a relaxing ritual.

6. Avoiding stressful/dramatic TV shows and conversations before bed - give yourself time to wind down and don't expose your mind to anything over stimulating.

7. Progressive muscle relaxation - mindfully tense and relax each muscle in your body.

8. Don't lie in bed for longer than 20 minutes if you can't get to sleep - get up, make yourself a herbal tea and watch some funny/soothing YouTube videos or read a relaxing/uplifting book. Listen to some soothing classical or jazz music to help take your mind off the annoying tinnitus sounds. Then jump into bed...if you can't get to sleep...rinse and repeat. Don't panic if you can't get to sleep easily that night. It isn't the end of the world.

9. Mindful body scan - Jon Kabat Zinn's guided meditations are the best and you can do it while you're lying in bed, before you go to sleep.

10. Sleeping in a separate bed to your partner - totally unromantic but we all need sleep and tinnitus can be disruptive to a significant other. Buying a spare bed was a worthwhile investment - not just for guests but for when one of us needs some extra space.

11. Sleeping tablets. Yep, it got so bad for me at one point that I went to talk to my doctor. These helped me when I was really struggling. Some nights I actually found that just knowing I could take sleeping tablets if I really needed to helped soothe my mind (without even actually taking the tablets!)

12. Julian Cowan Hill on YouTube - if I felt really depressed about my tinnitus, I would listen to Julian's videos and they definitely helped cheer me up.

 

[Nonna]

Have u googled essential oils for tinnitus. Helichrysum is the main one. There are others, cypress, juniper berry and rosemary, I'm forgetting one or two.

 

[steinamo]

This crickets track saved me from losing sleep.



I listen to it on repeat every night. It squashes the tinnitus better than anything else I've tried.

 

[Purple Parrot]

That's interesting! I find the crickets sound really irritating. I guess it depends on the person. Definitely recommend trying out different masking options though and finding one that suits you.

 

[Purple Parrot]

I have another suggestion for relaxation - Butyeko breathing. Google it! It is also very helpful for asthmatics. Developed by a Russian scientist and backed up by science. Give it a go next time you can't sleep.

 

[Mario martz]

This crickets track saved me from losing sleep.



I listen to it on repeat every night. It squashes the tinnitus better than anything else I've tried.

Crikets are such a great masking to me <3

 

[Marie79]

What sleeping tablets have you used?

 

[Marie79]

Have u googled essential oils for tinnitus. Helichrysum is the main one. There are others, cypress, juniper berry and rosemary, I'm forgetting one or two.

Have you had any luck with these? Thanks!!

 

[Richard zurowski]

Sleeping tablets are very good for getting to sleep. But only short term use . What you don't want is to get dependant on them.

 

[Nonna]

When it first started I did pour helichrysum all around my ear, and many many others through the days and weeks. I oil pulled as well, because I knew I had middle ear fluid blockage. And I remember reading the oil can do some deep stuff. I believe the oil pulling reduced the tinnitus in the first two weeks. Helichrysum is expensive but it is suppose to restore nerve cells. I read through google a lady used essential oils to regain her hearing after a decade and it worked. You can try lavender and any of the inflammation oils, because it is probably inflammation in your eustachian tube, or maybe even congestion the Dr can't see. I havent had any tinnitus in a week or two.

 

[Nonna]

. It went from loud tinnitus to annoying night time, morning tinnitus. Now it sounds like rushing air in my middle ear. I poured essential oils oregano oil, myrtle, 3 wise men, purification, cypress, lavender, melissa, copaiba, Mgrain and many others, Wish I had had Rosemary on hand. Purification would be good for you, it is for ear infection. Then I would steam Eucalyptus, chamomile, or peppermint. Wrap a heat pad while oils on ears. Try not getting your ears wet. Use swim ear drops to keep ears dry. Take Epsom salt baths. I turned everything off, my T was very reactive. Sat in silence. Stopped laying flat, started using blankets and pillows to keep head and shoulders off bed.

 

[Nonna]

Have you had any luck with these? Thanks!!

I posted above forgot to quote.

 

[Nonna]

By oil pulling I mean with olive oil or sesame oil, it pulls out toxins. Swish slowly near back of throat w head up a bit.

 

[Marie79]

When it first started I did pour helichrysum all around my ear, and many many others through the days and weeks. I oil pulled as well, because I knew I had middle ear fluid blockage. And I remember reading the oil can do some deep stuff. I believe the oil pulling reduced the tinnitus in the first two weeks. Helichrysum is expensive but it is suppose to restore nerve cells. I read through google a lady used essential oils to regain her hearing after a decade and it worked. You can try lavender and any of the inflammation oils, because it is probably inflammation in your eustachian tube, or maybe even congestion the Dr can't see. I havent had any tinnitus in a week or two.

wait what? this worked? you haven't had T for 2 weeks after using this stuff?

 

[Purple Parrot]

What sleeping tablets have you used?

I have taken zopiclone on a short term basis. As noted above, it is for short term use only.

I have taken a small dose of seroquel (an anti-psychotic) for sleep when I was really struggling some years ago (not through tinnitus, but through anxiety). I would not recommend this due to the nasty side effect profile.

I have had some success with tart cherry juice (natural melatonin source).

 

[Marie79]

I have taken zopiclone on a short term basis. As noted above, it is for short term use only.

I have taken a small dose of seroquel (an anti-psychotic) for sleep when I was really struggling some years ago (not through tinnitus, but through anxiety). I would not recommend this due to the nasty side effect profile.

I have had some success with tart cherry juice (natural melatonin source).

My psychiatrist keeps telling me to take trazedone. I just saw him today. I take xanax sparingly if I have to but he says trazedone is much better. I'm of course nervous to do so.

 

[rooster]

I take half a zolpadem, then 1/4 teaspoon of magnesium powder with water at bedtime. If I wake up in the middle of the night I take the second half of the zolpadem. I'm usually suffering at night because my T ramps up and my body is tired, my sleep is essential. Been on the same routine now for at least 4 years.
Melatonin is good but after a while it gives me crazy dreams. Hope this is helpful.

 

[Nonna]

wait what? this worked? you haven't had T for 2 weeks after using this stuff?

I have a slight ring, that I have been ignoring. My loud screaming in the beginning shifted to a loud pulsatile T all over my head. Only randomly a loud screaming T appeared. The last few days or wks the PT isolated in my bad ear, and quieted down to where it sounds like air. And when it leaves I get a ring. I don't know what worked for sure. Staying away from sound really helped. I just happened to be ordering essential oils from my friend when this all happened. Still ringing but I never get the loud T. Ring still brings panic but I have improved.

 

[Purple Parrot]

I have a slight ring, that I have been ignoring. My loud screaming in the beginning shifted to a loud pulsatile T all over my head. Only randomly a loud screaming T appeared. The last few days or wks the PT isolated in my bad ear, and quieted down to where it sounds like air. And when it leaves I get a ring. I don't know what worked for sure. Staying away from sound really helped. I just happened to be ordering essential oils from my friend when this all happened. Still ringing but I never get the loud T. Ring still brings panic but I have improved.

The "AWARE" technique is really good for panic attacks: http://www.anxietycoach.com/overcoming-panic-attacks.html

 

[Marijana]

It may sound funny but hair dryer sound helps me a lot when those days occur

Even when I get headache I don't reach for the pills, I simply turn on some relaxation music on youtube ( with nature sounds, isochronic tones, binaural beats) and with feeling of headache fading out I fall asleep

 

[Alue]