Sleeplessness and Tinnitus

Not everyone who has tinnitus finds it interferes with their sleep. But for some, the combination of:

1. Silent room

2. Nothing occupying the brain

3. No hearing aids

Can cause the tinnitus signal to become more prominent than it usually is during the day.

If you are someone who finds tinnitus distressing, the distress magnifies the tinnitus signal.

I really do hate recommending supplements, but if you follow my rules:

1. Only start/stop one supplement, vitamin or foodstuff at a time. If there’s no benefit after 2 weeks, discontinue/restart.

2. Do not take more than the recommended dose.

3. Check with your doctor if you have medical conditions, or take medications, in case of interactions.

4. Shop around and check ingredient quality, buy from trusted sources.

Then I can happily recommend* trying magnesium just before bed. Magnesium Glycinate is the best absorbed form. The picture is the one I’m currently using, but there are many formulations and price points.

Magnesium acts quickly and helps you drop off to sleep. Me, and several other friends/family are now taking it regularly at bedtime. Cheap, natural and as effective as any sleeping tablet I’ve ever had! It really was surprisingly effective.

Another benefit is that it helps with muscle twitchiness during the night, which is an added aggravation when you’re trying to sleep.

While magnesium doesn’t impact tinnitus directly, anything that helps your sleep schedule is beneficial. When you’re tired, tinnitus can be more noticeable, leading to a vicious cycle.

Remember also:

You can’t try to ignore tinnitus, it only makes you think about it more. You can only focus on something else in your environment.

There’s a reason why people count sheep at bedtime. Occupying the brain with something low-stakes - like keeping count - and visualising sheep is a great distraction. This prevents you from feeding the tinnitus with attention and negative thoughts.

Let me know in the comments how you get on.

Sally

Sally Jackson - Specialist Tinnitus Audiologist

*I do not receive payment for recommendations. It is your responsibility to check with your healthcare team before taking supplements.