Do You Ever Habituate to Complete Silence (Silent Room)?

[Dr. Nagler]

In terms of tinnitus, is there some biological activity going on in silence that isn't happening in ambient noise?

Yes.

Your auditory system exists to detect external sounds. And in a very primitive sense (like from cave-man days) it exists to protect you from the enemies that might only be detected by virtue of the sounds they make. So in silence, your auditory system does what it is supposed to do and tries very hard to hear what's out there. And since nothing is out there, it ramps up your own internal sounds (i.e., your tinnitus) to feed its need to hear.

With folks who are largely habituated to their tinnitus, that just does not happen - because the habituation process dampens the autonomic response as far as tinnitus is concerned.

stephen nagler

 

[KingRoanoke]

Yes.

Your auditory system exists to detect external sounds. And in a very primitive sense (like from cave-man days) it exists to protect you from the enemies that might only be detected by virtue of the sounds they make. So in silence, your auditory system does what it is supposed to do and tries very hard to hear what's out there. And since nothing is out there, it ramps up your own internal sounds (i.e., your tinnitus) to feed its need to hear.

With folks who are largely habituated to their tinnitus, that just does not happen - because the habituation process dampens the autonomic response as far as tinnitus is concerned.

stephen nagler

So I will eventually be able to have extended moments where I can forget about my tinnitus even in silence? Oh that is comforting. My idea was completely wrong then. I was purposely staying in silence so I could "teach" myself how to habituate this noise. I figured that trying to get used to the tinnitus at its most loudest would be the fastest way to habituation. Thank you for the clarification.

 

[pef]

About six weeks after the onset of my T I was going to bed in silence.

An observation helped me. When my T first started, I did not think it was a permanent condition, and I slept fine. Only after several days, when I realized it might be a permanent condition, did I begin to have trouble. Looking back on the fact that I could sleep like a baby with T helped me realize I would eventually get back to where I was.

My other threads detail my transition to what I consider habituation. I now sleep in silence, sit in quiet rooms and read, etc.

 

[Kathi]

I'm not sure if you are in the US but you can get a battery operated white noise/nature sounds machine for about $10 in the baby department of Walmart or CVS. People are using them to help infants/toddlers sleep. I took one camping with me and it worked great.

A simple answer for me is NO. I have slept for so long with a fan as well as a sound machine. On the occasion that I lose power and it suddenly goes graveyard quiet I awake.

 

[Telis]

Yeah...I sit in silence for hours, go to sleep no noise etc. I don't find masking to help my T, T just seems to stand above the noise and get louder.

 

[dan]

Your auditory system exists to detect external sounds. And in a very primitive sense (like from cave-man days) it exists to protect you from the enemies that might only be detected by virtue of the sounds they make.

So it would be a very bad thing for a caveman to get tinnitus...because all cavemen had aroused autonomic nervous systems ? How does a poor caveman supposed to habituate tinnitus ?

 

[bwspot]

I sleep in silence because i love silence but i dont know if this is habituation as my mind still dreams of turning the time back to before t. For me the hardest part is to accept the status quo. Not sure if acceptence is a reaction but I still suffer mentally and cannot say for 100% "ok I got it, f it, let's move on and enjoy life" This might be because at the same time I got t I was diagnosed with some other stuff that forced me to go on diet and remove almost everything I loved in the kitchen while trying to master chef like skills. But like somebody posted already "we were not promised to have best life ever"

 

[Dr. Nagler]

So it would be a very bad thing for a caveman to get tinnitus...because all cavemen had aroused autonomic nervous systems ?

It would be a very bad thing for anybody to get tinnitus.

How does a poor caveman supposed to habituate tinnitus ?

TRT, of course!

Dr. Stephen Nagler

 

[william adams]

I think everyone that has T will hear it in a silent room but if you are habituated it doesnt bother you. If I can get my brain grossly involved in a project or doing something mind stimulating my T fades away but that is the only time. I practice relaxation techniques like listening to forest sounds, get plenty of exercise, tai chi, modified diet, and all of these things have helped me habituate. I do play the sounds of birds chirping to sleep for it is much more natural and pleasant than listening to my high pitched T.

 

[linearb]

I sleep with earplugs in a lot of the time, so...