One of the most difficult aspects of tinnitus is its impact on your sleep. When you don’t sleep well, it can negatively affect virtually every aspect of your health – especially your mental health. Therefore, if you’re experiencing depression or anxiety because of tinnitus, sleep is even more important! Falling asleep with tinnitus is never easy, but you can take a few steps to improve your chances. Here’s a quick guide to good sleep health with tinnitus and how our doctors of audiology can help here at NYHD | Institute for Hearing & Balance.

Focusing on relaxation before bed can prime your body for falling asleep. Establish a routine where you enjoy a cup of herbal tea, take a warm bath, meditate, or listen to your favorite relaxing music just before bed. These things can help you take your mind off your tinnitus symptoms as well as bring your mind into the right state for sleeping.

Set an alarm for at least 90 minutes before bedtime and put away your phone, turn off the TV, or put away your gaming system. Screens that emit blue light can trigger your body to wakefulness by impeding the natural production of melatonin. For these 90 minutes before going to sleep, try reading a book or doing a puzzle to both exercise your brain and help your body begin its shutdown mechanisms.

Science is still unclear on whether there’s a strong link between caffeine and tinnitus. It was once thought that it could trigger ringing in your ears, but recent studies suggest this isn’t the case. Anecdotally, some patients do find relief from tinnitus by limiting caffeine. However, we do know that cutting out caffeine can help you sleep better. If you drink a lot of caffeine, cut back by a single cup of coffee (or equivalent) and work your way down. Consider switching to decaffeinated versions of your favorite drinks, too.

Background noise while you sleep can help block out any ringing you might hear. Try sleeping with a fan, sound machine, or app that creates background noise and ensure it’s not too loud – you’ll want it at a noise level just under the volume of your tinnitus. This can help take your focus away from the ringing, allowing you to get much-needed sleep.

Lastly and most importantly, make sure to track your sleep health habits so you can gather data about what works and what doesn’t. Doing this lets you see which nights you sleep well and which steps might have contributed to it. You can bring this data to your doctor of audiology to review and explore treatment options.

To learn more about the latest in tinnitus treatment, contact NYHD | Institute for Hearing & Balance and schedule a consultation with our award-winning doctors of audiology. Contact us today by calling or filling out our online form.