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 tends to get worse when you are attempting to fall asleep. But why would this be? The ringing is a phantom sound due to some medical disorder like hearing loss, it’s not an outside sound. But none of that information can give a reason why this ringing becomes louder during the night.

The real reason is fairly straightforward. But first, we have to discover a little more about this all-too-common condition.

What is tinnitus?

For the majority of people, tinnitus isn’t an actual sound, but this fact just compounds the confusion. The person with tinnitus can hear the sound but nobody else can. 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 alone is not a disease or condition, but a sign that something else is happening. Substantial hearing loss is usually the root of this condition. For many, tinnitus is the first sign they get that their hearing is in jeopardy. Individuals with hearing loss frequently don’t notice their condition until the tinnitus symptoms begin because it progresses so gradually. Your hearing is changing if you begin to hear these noises, and they’re alerting you of those changes.

What causes tinnitus?

At this time medical scientists and doctors are still uncertain of exactly what causes tinnitus. It could be a symptom of a number of medical issues including inner ear damage. The inner ear has many tiny hair cells made to move in response to sound waves. Often, when these tiny hairs get damaged to the point that they can’t efficiently send messages to the brain, tinnitus symptoms occur. These electrical messages are how the brain translates sound into something it can clearly comprehend like a car horn or someone speaking.

The present theory pertaining to tinnitus has to do with the absence of sound. The brain stays on the alert to get these messages, so when they don’t come, it fills that space with the phantom noise of tinnitus. It tries to compensate for input that it’s not receiving.

When it comes to tinnitus, that would explain some things. For starters, why it’s a symptom of so many different ailments that affect the ear: minor infections, concussions, and age-related hearing loss. That may also be the reason why the symptoms get louder at night sometimes.

Why are tinnitus sounds worse at night?

You may 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 during the 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. When faced with complete silence, it resorts to creating its own internal sounds. Sensory deprivation has been shown to cause hallucinations as the brain attempts to insert information, including auditory input, into a place where there isn’t any.

In other words, your tinnitus could get worse at night because it’s too quiet. Producing sound might be the remedy for those who can’t sleep because of that annoying ringing in the ear.

Creating noise at night

For some individuals suffering from tinnitus, all they need is a fan running in the background. Just the sound of the motor is enough to quiet the ringing.

But, there are also devices designed to help people who have tinnitus get to sleep. Environmental sounds, like ocean waves or rain, are generated by these “white noise machines”. The soft noise calms the tinnitus but isn’t disruptive enough to keep you awake like leaving the TV on may do. Alternatively, 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 extreme tinnitus symptoms. Other things, like high blood pressure and stress can also contribute to your symptoms. Give us a call for an appointment if these tips aren’t helping or if you’re feeling dizzy when your tinnitus symptoms are present.

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References
https://hearinghealthfoundation.org/hearing-loss-tinnitus-statistics/