Tinnitus and sleeplessness

Around half of all tinnitus sufferers report experiencing sleep difficulties that they believe to be attributable to their condition. Although these are high numbers, they are not that much worse than for those of the general population, with women, whether they suffer from the condition or not, being around twice as likely to suffer some form of disturbance to their normal sleep pattern.

Insomnia can be described as interruption of the normal sleeping pattern, and may take the form of difficulty in falling asleep, intermittent and interrupted sleep, or waking unusually early and being unable to return to sleep.

It has been speculated that, for some people, tinnitus itself may not actually be the cause of their insomnia but that anxieties about the condition may cause them to experience sleep disturbance. So, for example, a person worrying that their symptoms are going to wake them will find that the tension of this thought leads to it becoming a self-fulfilling prophecy.

Conversely, many sufferers often believe that their symptoms are waking them, when, in fact, it is simply the first sensory experience they have on waking. Once again, this can increase anxieties and lead to recurring cycle of self-fulfilling prophecy.

The best way to counteract these insomnia-related problems is to take a programmatic approach to sleep. This can be done by undertaking relaxation exercises such as meditation and controlled breathing routines or listening to a calming tape or CD before bed.

A "winding down" period similar to the kind of routine parents try for their babies may also help. This may include things like having a pre-bed glass of hot milk or a hot bath, which may assist the body in preparing itself for sleep.

While alcohol may help some people fall asleep, it is never a good idea as it inevitably leads to early waking and, sometimes, dependency. Unfortunately, powerful soporifics will often have the same pitfalls as alcohol.

Many sufferers find sound therapy exercises helpful. These might take the form of the introduction of some form of "white noise" into the bedroom. This could be a low pitched, humming fan, a hushed, sibilant radio or an audio recording of gentle, relaxing sounds.

One recent development that could prove innovative is a study detailing a postulated link between the taking of melatonin supplements and improved sleep for insomniac tinnitus sufferers. The authors of this study, the Washington University School of Medicine, commented, "We found an improvement in tinnitus and sleep after taking melatonin. Furthermore, the degree of improvement in tinnitus was associated with the degree of improvement in sleep, however, due to a lack of control we can not establish causality."

YouClaim, the no win, no fee leaders for industrial deafness and tinnitus
Over the years, YouClaim have proved their pedigree in representing clients who have developed hearing-related problems as a result of exposure to excessive noise in the workplace.

We have no win, no fee solicitors working on our panel firms who are among the leading specialists in the UK in this area of personal injury law.

All work on a, win or lose, no legal fees basis and all share our no-cut commitment, something that ensures all our winning clients 100% of the compensation awarded them.

We are also committed to dealing with all claims as speedily, sensitively and informatively as possible. We avoid the use of legal jargon and take pride in our excellent history of solicitor-claimant relations.

If you would like to find out more about why our service is second-to-none, fill out an online claim form or have an echat over the web.

Alternatively, if you would like to get your tinnitus claim underway by speaking to a legal advisor now, call us on 0800 10 757 95.

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