RNID: For deaf and hard of hearing people.

If you wake up alot during the night you may think you've not slept very much, or at all. But insomnia is very rare and most people find they've slept more than they thought they had. However many people do experience periods where they have difficulty getting to sleep and this may cause or make stress worse.

About 50% of people with tinnitus report difficulty in sleeping because their tinnitus keeps them awake. Sometimes people believe their tinnitus is waking them up during the night. But what's more likely is that someone thinks their tinnitus has woken them because they hear it as soon as they wake up. Anyone worrying about their tinnitus when they've woken up will also stay awake longer.

Sound therapy is one way of dealing with this problem. By introducing a low level of sound into the bedroom (such as white noise, the sound of the radio tuned in between stations) you provide an additional sound for your brain to listen to. More information on this may be found in our factsheet "Equipment, sound therapy and tinnitus".

Here are a few more tips:

  • Try relaxation exercises. Classes and tapes are widely available.
  • Go to bed when you feel sleepy, not just because it is a certain time.
  • Get up at the same time every day.
  • Try to limit the amount of caffeine (found in tea, coffee, cola and chocolate) and nicotine you take late at night as these are stimulants.
  • Keep your room at a temperature that is neither too cold nor too hot.
  • Don’t read or watch television in bed before trying to go to sleep, these will only make you feel more alert.
  • 'Wind down' for at least an hour before bedtime – have a warm bath (not too hot), milky drink or listen to some relaxing music (Relaxation CDs are available in our shop).
RNID's understanding tinnitus book

More information can be found in our tinnitus and sleep factsheet or our book Understanding Tinnitus - managing the noises in your ears or in your head.