Tinnitus - Sleeping With The Enemy

One of the most common questions I get from readers is; how does one fall asleep with tinnitus? One woman recently wrote, “I have a very hard time falling asleep with tinnitus. I can't because the tinnitus is so loud that it kind of hypnotizes me. I can't help not focusing on it and when I sleep it’s a very light sleep, a sort of trance, it’s not deep sleep. So I wake up very tired. Do you have suggestions for improving sleep?”

I certainly have plenty of experience in how to achieve a good night’s sleep. However, because everyone perceives their tinnitus differently some may suffer greatly from lack of sleep while others may not suffer at all.

In the beginning my tinnitus was pretty severe and sleep was something that I didn’t look forward to at all. In fact, I can remember many times when just going near the bedroom caused major feelings of anxiety. The anticipation of another night restless tinnitus sleep was almost as painful as experiencing the insomnia. The bedroom was place of pain, frustration and all sorts of negative emotions. It was like a war zone and the enemy was tinnitus.

To get over this problem I had to learn how to reclaim my bedroom. I had to learn how to make the bedroom a “safe zone” instead of the “war zone”. The simply act of making it a ‘safe’ zone greatly reduced my anticipation of pain, my anticipation of no sleep, and my resistance to the tinnitus. And, with time, my bedroom grew into a place where I now find peace, tranquility, freedom, love and pleasure.

In my Tinnitus seminars, I tell people that the bedroom needs to be a “safe” zone. Because, it's much easier to fall asleep when you walk into a space where you feel safe, valuable and loved. When you safe, valuable and loved you feel happy. Therefore, you must make your bedroom a very happy place.

The bedroom must not have a TV and it must be smoke free. It must be a room where you will not allow your mind to worry or stress. There is absolutely no fighting in this room. No anger must enter it. Make it clutter free, and spacious. If you must, clean your closets, your dresser and recycle anything that you don’t use or haven’t worn in 12 months.

Invest in your happy zone. Paint it a good energy color. Try choosing a color that reflects something soothing, welcoming and warm. Make it your king/goddess room, where you feel great. The whole idea is that when you walk into your bedroom, you FEEL happy.

Invest in placing happy books, framed pictures of happy moments, or you could even place pictures of things you desire in your life around the room. The idea is to focus your mind on only happy thoughts.

Happy thoughts and feelings is really the key to making this a welcoming safe haven for you.
Make it a place that you look forward to. If you have to, invest in satin sheets, a luxury blanket, comfy or sexy clothes best suited to what your heart desires. You could also start some new traditions or rituals. For example, place one dark chocolate on the pillow, or enjoy the perfect tea. Whatever or however you use your creativity to create your "happy" reality, make it the one place in the house that brings your energy vibration closest to your true heart’s desire.

In addition to creating a great space, you should also avoid taking sleeping pills or anti-depressants as they are very addictive. If you have to take anything, try Gravol or other kinds of motion sickness pills. They work just as well as sleeping pills and are non-addictive. However, please consult your doctor before trying any over the counter medication.

For me, the greatest results came from learning how to focus on what I want rather than what I don't want. For example; when you try to sleep and your mind continues to focus on not wanting tinnitus, then you are still focusing on what you don't want and your tinnitus will bother you more.

Instead, focus on what you do want and say things to yourself like, "I desire to attract all things that bring happiness into my life". Focusing on what you desire will continue to expand in your mind and will put you in a much happier state. And, when you fall asleep happier, you will inevitably sleep better and far more soundly.

Paul Tobey is a professional motivational speaker who has performed many seminars for ringing ears sufferers and is author of Tinnitus Free Living a Tinnitus Handbook Self Help Guide which helps people reduce their tinnitus volume.