If you are one of the millions of people in the U.S. suffering from a medical condition called tinnitus then you most likely know that it often gets worse when you are attempting to go to sleep. But what’s the reason for this? The ringing is a phantom noise due to some medical disorder like hearing loss, it isn’t an outside sound. But none of that information can give a reason why this ringing becomes louder during the night.
The reality is more common sense than you may think. To know why your tinnitus increases as you try to sleep, you need to know the hows and whys of this really common medical problem.
What is tinnitus?
For the majority of people, tinnitus isn’t an actual sound, but this fact just compounds the confusion. It’s a noise no one else can hear. Your partner sleeping next to you in bed can’t hear it although it sounds like a maelstrom to you.
Tinnitus by itself isn’t a disease or condition, but a sign that something else is happening. It is typically associated with substantial hearing loss. Tinnitus is frequently the first sign that hearing loss is Taking hold. Individuals who have hearing loss frequently don’t recognize their condition until the tinnitus symptoms start because it progresses so slowly. Your hearing is changing if you start to hear these noises, and they’re warning you of those changes.
What causes tinnitus?
Tinnitus is one of medical science’s greatest mysteries and doctors don’t have a clear comprehension of why it occurs. It might be a symptom of inner ear damage or numerous other possible medical conditions. There are tiny hair cells inside of your ears that vibrate in response to sound. Tinnitus can indicate there’s damage to those hair cells, enough to keep them from transmitting electrical signals to the brain. These electrical messages are how the brain converts sound into something it can clearly interpret like a car horn or a person speaking.
The current theory regarding tinnitus has to do with the absence of sound. The brain remains on the alert to receive these messages, so when they don’t come, it fills that space with the phantom sound of tinnitus. It tries to compensate for input that it’s not receiving.
When it comes to tinnitus, that would explain a few things. Why it can be caused by so many medical conditions, like age-related hearing loss, high blood pressure, and concussions, for starters. It also tells you something about why the ringing gets louder at night for some individuals.
Why are tinnitus sounds louder at night?
You might not even detect it, but your ear is picking up some sounds during the day. It hears really faintly the music or the TV playing somewhere close by. But during the night, when you’re trying to sleep, it gets really quiet.
Abruptly, all the sound disappears and the level of confusion in the brain rises in response. It only knows one response when faced with total silence – generate noise even if it’s not real. Hallucinations, including phantom sounds, are often the result of sensory deprivation as the brain attempts to create input where none exists.
In other words, your tinnitus might get worse at night because it’s too quiet. If you are having a hard time sleeping because your tinnitus symptoms are so loud, producing some noise may be the solution.
Creating noise at night
For some people dealing with tinnitus, all they need is a fan running in the background. The loudness of the ringing is decreased just by the sound of the motor of the fan.
But you can also buy devices that are specifically made to lessen tinnitus sounds. Environmental sounds, like ocean waves or rain, are generated by these “white noise machines”. The soft sound soothes the tinnitus but isn’t distracting enough to keep you awake like leaving the TV on might do. Your smartphone also has the ability to download apps that will play soothing sounds.
What else can worsen tinnitus symptoms?
Your tinnitus symptoms can be worsened by other things besides lack of sound. Too much alcohol before bed can contribute to more severe tinnitus symptoms. Tinnitus also tends to become severe if you’re under stress and certain medical problems can lead to a flare-up, too, like high blood pressure. Contact us for an appointment if these suggestions aren’t helping or if you’re feeling dizzy when your tinnitus symptoms are active.
References
https://hearinghealthfoundation.org/hearing-loss-tinnitus-statistics/
