Silence Your Tinnitus and Increase Your Sleep With This Natural Solution

  • The ringing in your ears could be just a symptom of a more serious health issue
  • Tinnitus doesn’t just cut the silence, it may also be stealing your rest
  • Find out how tune out the noise with one easy solution.

Dear Reader,

Bob Dylan sang, “My ears are ringing, ringing like empty shells,” in his song “Call Letter Blues.”

It’s rumored that the constant ringing in Dylan’s ears he referred to in his lyrics was caused by tinnitus.

And Dylan isn’t alone. Many musicians have suffered from tinnitus, including Bob Seger, Peter Frampton, Robert Plant, and my personal favorite, Trent Reznor, who’s penned many lyrics about the ringing in his ears, including “G****** this noise inside my head.1

But tinnitus doesn’t just affect professional musicians. It can happen to anyone.

In fact, there’s a good chance you may be experiencing it right now.

If you hear a constant buzzing, hissing, humming, clicking, or ringing sound in your ears, you may be one of the millions who suffer from this chronic and sometimes debilitating symptom.

That’s right — tinnitus is a symptom, not a disease.

In many cases, it’s the first sign of much more dangerous underlying health problems — we will talk more about his in a bit.

Plus, I will offer you a simple and natural solution to relieve tinnitus, but first let’s take a look at some numbers and how tinnitus works.

--Hearing by the Numbers

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that about one in five adults, or 50 million Americans, suffer from some form of tinnitus. Sixteen million of these sufferers have sought medical attention, while 2 million have severe and disabling cases.

Although, tinnitus is sometimes a temporary complaint, for many— 20 million, to be exact — it’s a chronic state.3

And if you are a veteran, your risk is even greater. Hearing loss and tinnitus are among the top service-related disabilities. In fact, 60 percent of soldiers who served in Afghanistan and Iraq experience hearing loss.4

This makes sense, because a leading cause of tinnitus is exposure to loud noises. Soldiers and musicians alike typically experience long-term exposure to loud noise in their careers.

Sometimes these long exposures can cause damage to the ear resulting in hearing loss.

While tinnitus isn’t typically considered dangerous on it’s own, it can indicate you have a serious condition like hearing loss, blood pressure issues, heart problems, or possibly tumors or other problems in the blood vessels, neck, or jaw.5

Not to mention, even if it’s not indicative of a larger health issue, over 200 medications can cause tinnitus symptoms. Be sure you read all of your medication side effects if you experience tinnitus.

If you are experiencing tinnitus, you should see your doctor.

But besides just ruining your hearing, tinnitus may also be ruining your sleep.

--Soundly Sleeping

A study shows that there is a strong correlation between insomnia and tinnitus sufferers.

Kathleen L. Yaremchuk, M.D., a researcher in the study and the department chair of otolaryngology-head and neck surgery at Henry Ford Health System, reports:

Tinnitus involves cognitive, emotional, and psycho-physiological processes, which can result in an increase in a patient’s distress. Sleep complaints, including insomnia, in these patients may result in a decrease in their tolerance to tinnitus.

Simply put, the added stress of sleep deprivation can increase the effects of tinnitus and vice versa.

She goes on to say, “Treating patients with tinnitus is challenging. A chronic tinnitus patient presents a challenging clinical picture that may include anxiety, depression, annoyance, or self-reported emotional distress. And one of most frequent self-reported complaint of tinnitus patients is ‘getting to sleep.’”

Fortunately, research indicates that nature may have a solution for tinnitus and sleep support.

A double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover trial done by the Ear Research Foundation found melatonin to be powerful solution for tinnitus and sleep issues.

In the study, patients’ tinnitus was gauged by the Tinnitus Handicap Inventory (THI) and then were given 3 mg of melatonin for 30 days.

The researchers reported, “Among subjects reporting difficulty sleeping attributable to their tinnitus, 46.7% reported an overall improvement after melatonin.”

The study went on to conclude:

Melatonin has been shown to be useful in the treatment of subjective tinnitus. Patients with high THI scores and/or difficulty sleeping are most likely to benefit from treatment with melatonin. In light of its minimal side effects, melatonin should be a part of the physician’s armamentarium in the treatment of tinnitus.6

But the research doesn’t stop there.

A study published in Annals of Otology, Rhinology, and Laryngology also found success with melatonin with tinnitus and sleep support.

With the same dosing amount as the previous study, 3 mg, they found that “Melatonin is associated with a statistically significant decrease in tinnitus intensity and improved sleep quality in patients with chronic tinnitus.”

Sounds like a melatonin might just do the trick for those noisy, sleepless nights!

If you have any tinnitus experiences you would like to share, please do! nmoore@lfb.org

Live well,

Natalie Moore
Managing editor, Living Well Daily


Sources

[1] Between my ears

[2] Tinnitus

[3] National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey

[4]
TINNITUS BY THE NUMBERS

[5] Tinnitus Symtoms and Causes

[6] Effect of melatonin on tinnitus

[7] Melatonin: can it stop the ringing?

Natalie Moore

Written By Natalie Moore

Natalie Moore is a dedicated health researcher with a passion for finding healthy, natural, and science-based solutions. After a decade of direct healthcare experience in western and natural medicine, she was involved in public health research before joining Living Well Daily.

View More Free Articles

Is Your Diet ACTUALLY Healthy? Here’s How to Tell

I’ve probably uttered the phrase “healthy diet” when talking to patients, family, and friends more times than I’ve had cups of coffee—and that’s saying something! But I’ll admit it’s not always entirely clear what a healthy diet looks like. What does healthy eating really mean? Let’s take a look… Good news—healthy eating doesn’t mean you...

Read This

7 Natural Ways to Tackle Pain Without Pills

On Tuesday, we explored a promising new frontier in pain relief: terpenes, natural compounds found in cannabis (and other plants) that may ease pain without the risks of opioids. That research is still developing. But what if you’re looking for help right now? Good news: You don’t have to wait for a pharmaceutical breakthrough to...

Read This

Mailbag: Pinched to Pain Free with Natural Sciatica Solutions

“I have been suffering from sciatic pain in my hip and groin. I try to do exercises to stretch it. But ever since I slipped on the ice and fell on my left hip it seems to be getting worse. Is there any help for this?” -Painfully Pinched Dear Pinched, I understand how frustrating sciatic...

Read This

New Cannabis Discovery Could Ease Pain—Without the High

A few years ago, everywhere you turned, someone was talking about CBD. The cannabis extract had exploded in popularity for everything from anxiety to inflammation to joint pain. And while the CBD conversation continues, another cannabis compound is quietly making headlines. One that could—believe it or not—provide relief from all kinds of pain. Without the...

Read This

"Sinful Trio" SLASHES Metabolic Syndrome Risk

Are you tired of hearing your doctor’s endless “don’t eat this, don’t drink that” lectures? Well, this Easter Sunday, I’ve got news that might just have you hopping happily to your pantry. Turns out, some of life’s tastiest pleasures could help protect you from one of today’s most common health threats—metabolic syndrome. Let’s dig into...

Read This

Microplastics’ Hidden Link to Chronic Disease EXPOSED

By now, you’ve heard about microplastics. These tiny fragments of plastic have invaded virtually every corner of our planet. We’re just beginning to understand the scope of the threat, but we know microplastics pose a serious risk to our health. If you’re like many folks, you’ve shrugged off those dangers, thinking there’s nothing you can...

Read This

Shakespeare’s “Remembrance” Herb Protects Memory

You probably have a jar of rosemary sitting in your spice rack. Perhaps you sprinkle it on potatoes or add it to roast chicken. But what if this humble herb could hold the key to fighting one of the most devastating diseases we can face as we age? It turns out a hidden compound inside...

Read This

Is Your Gut “Good”? How to Check

I always get asked, “How do I know if my digestion is working right?” Well, the answer is pretty simple, but it’s also a little gross. A simple test you can do at home reveals whether your digestion is normal or not. Your digestive system processes everything you eat—extracting nutrients, and eliminating waste. The time...

Read This

Hidden Sugar Trap Fuels Lung Cancer

We’ve long known that smoking is the main villain behind lung cancer. But what if your dinner plate has quietly joined forces with the enemy? A new study from the University of Florida reveals that the typical Western diet could be laying the groundwork for aggressive lung cancer growth by feeding tumors with stored sugar....

Read This

Mailbag: Can A Diabetic Enjoy Desserts? The Surprising Answer

“If you have diabetes, may you eat a very few sweets in a week?” —Sweet Tooth Hi Sweet Tooth, Type 2 diabetes is a chronic condition where your body either resists the effects of insulin (a hormone that regulates sugar in your blood) or doesn’t produce enough of it to maintain normal blood sugar levels....

Read This