If you are one of the millions of people in the U.S. suffering from a medical disorder called tinnitus then you probably know that it often gets worse when you are trying to go to sleep. But what’s the reason for this? The ringing is a phantom noise due to some medical condition like hearing loss, it’s not an outside sound. But none of that information can give an explanation as to why this ringing gets louder during the night.
The truth is more common sense than you probably think. To know why your tinnitus gets louder as you attempt to sleep, you need to know the hows and whys of this extremely common medical issue.
What is tinnitus?
For most individuals, tinnitus isn’t an actual sound, but this fact just adds to the confusion. It’s a sound no one else can hear. It sounds like air-raid sirens are ringing in your ears but the person sleeping right near you can’t hear it at all.
Tinnitus is a sign that something is wrong, not a disorder by itself. It is generally linked to substantial hearing loss. For many, tinnitus is the first indication they get that their hearing is in jeopardy. People with hearing loss frequently don’t notice their condition until the tinnitus symptoms begin because it progresses so slowly. This phantom sound is a warning flag to warn you of a change in your hearing.
What causes tinnitus?
At this time medical scientists and doctors are still uncertain of exactly what triggers tinnitus. It might be a symptom of a number of medical issues including damage to the inner ear. The inner ear has lots of tiny hair cells made to vibrate in response to sound waves. Sometimes, when these tiny hairs get damaged to the point that they can’t effectively send signals to the brain, tinnitus symptoms occur. These electrical signals are how the brain translates sound into something it can clearly interpret like a car horn or a person talking.
The absence of sound is the basis of the current theory. Your brain will start to compensate for information that it’s not getting because of hearing loss. It attempts to compensate for input that it’s not receiving.
When it comes to tinnitus, that would clarify some things. For one, why it’s a symptom of so many different ailments that affect the ear: minor infections, concussions, and age-related hearing loss. That could also be why the symptoms get louder at night sometimes.
Why does tinnitus get louder at night?
You might not even notice it, but your ear receives some sounds during the day. It will faintly hear sounds coming from another room or around the corner. At the very least, you hear your own voice, but that all goes quiet at night when you try to go to sleep.
All of a sudden, the brain is thrown into confusion as it searches for sound to process. It only knows one thing to do when confronted with complete silence – create noise even if it isn’t real. Hallucinations, like phantom sounds, are often the outcome of sensory deprivation as the brain tries to create input where there isn’t any.
In other words, your tinnitus may get worse at night because it’s so quiet. Producing sound may be the remedy for those who can’t sleep because of that aggravating ringing in the ear.
How to generate noise at night
A fan running is often enough to decrease tinnitus symptoms for many people. Just the noise of the motor is enough to reduce the ringing.
But you can also buy devices that are specifically made to decrease tinnitus sounds. White noise machines reproduce environmental sounds like rain or ocean waves. The soft noise soothes the tinnitus but isn’t distracting enough to keep you awake like keeping the TV on may do. Your smartphone also has the ability to download apps that will play soothing sounds.
What else can worsen tinnitus symptoms?
Lack of sound isn’t the only thing that can bring about an increase in your tinnitus. Too much alcohol before bed can contribute to more severe tinnitus symptoms. Tinnitus also tends to worsen if you’re stressed out and certain medical issues can result in a flare-up, too, like high blood pressure. Call us for an appointment if these suggestions aren’t helping or if you’re feeling dizzy when your tinnitus symptoms are present.
References
https://hearinghealthfoundation.org/hearing-loss-tinnitus-statistics/
