If you are one of the millions of individuals in the U.S. dealing with a medical disorder called tinnitus then you most likely know that it often gets worse when you are attempting to fall asleep. But why should this be? The ringing or buzzing in one or both ears is not a real noise but a complication of a medical problem like hearing loss, either permanent or temporary. Of course, knowing what it is won’t clarify why you have this buzzing, ringing, or whooshing noise more often during the night.
The reality is more common sense than you may think. But first, we need to learn a little more about this all-too-common condition.
Tinnitus, what is it?
To say tinnitus is not a real sound just compounds the confusion, but, for most people, that is the case. It’s a sound no one else is able to hear. It sounds like air-raid sirens are going off in your ears but the person sleeping right near you can’t hear it at all.
Tinnitus by itself is not a disease or disorder, but a sign that something else is wrong. Substantial hearing loss is generally the root of this disorder. For many, tinnitus is the first indication they get that their hearing is in jeopardy. Hearing loss is typically gradual, so they don’t notice it until that ringing or buzzing begins. This phantom sound is a warning flag to notify you of a change in your hearing.
What causes tinnitus?
Tinnitus is one of medical science’s biggest conundrums and doctors don’t have a strong understanding of why it occurs. It may be a symptom of numerous medical issues including inner ear damage. There are tiny hair cells inside of your ears that move in response to sound. Sometimes, when these little hairs become damaged to the point that they can’t effectively send messages to the brain, tinnitus symptoms occur. These electrical messages are how the brain translates sound into something it can clearly interpret like a car horn or somebody talking.
The absence of sound is the basis of the current theory. The brain remains on the alert to get these messages, so when they don’t come, it fills in that space with the phantom sound of tinnitus. It gets confused by the lack of feedback from the ear and tries to compensate for it.
When it comes to tinnitus, that would explain some things. For one, why it’s a symptom of so many different ailments that impact the ear: mild infections, concussions, and age-related hearing loss. That could also be the reason why the symptoms get worse at night sometimes.
Why does tinnitus get louder at night?
Unless you are significantly deaf, your ear picks up some sounds during the day whether you know it or not. It hears very faintly the music or the TV playing in the other room. At the very least, you hear your own voice, but that all goes quiet at night when you try to go to sleep.
Abruptly, all the sound vanishes and the level of confusion in the brain goes up in response. It only knows one thing to do when confronted with complete silence – create noise even if it’s not real. Sensory deprivation has been shown to trigger hallucinations as the brain attempts to insert information, such as auditory input, into a place where there isn’t any.
In other words, your tinnitus may get louder at night because it’s too quiet. Producing sound might be the solution for individuals who can’t sleep because of that aggravating ringing in the ear.
How to create noise at night
For some people dealing with tinnitus, all they need is a fan running in the background. Just the noise of the motor is enough to decrease the ringing.
But you can also buy devices that are exclusively made to lessen tinnitus sounds. Environmental sounds, like ocean waves or rain, are produced by these “white noise machines”. If you were to keep a TV on, it might be disruptive, but white noise machines produce soothing sounds that you can sleep through. Instead, you could try an app that plays calming sounds from your smartphone.
What else can worsen tinnitus symptoms?
Your tinnitus symptoms can be exacerbated 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 issues can lead to a flare-up, also, like high blood pressure. If adding sound into your nighttime routine doesn’t help or you feel dizzy when the ringing is present, it’s time to learn about treatment options by making an appointment with us today.
References
https://hearinghealthfoundation.org/hearing-loss-tinnitus-statistics/