Using sound at night when you have tinnitus

Why it feels louder at night

Daytime sound partly masks tinnitus without effort. In a silent bedroom the contrast is at its maximum and there is nothing else to attend to. Earplugs increase the contrast; a soft sound reduces it.

What to play

Steady, eventless sounds: brown or pink noise, rain without thunder, ocean, a fan. Avoid music with structure and recordings with birds or surprises. If you like a more interesting sound to fall asleep to, let it simplify over time — the Adaptive Sound Journey in Experiments can end with a fade toward sleep.

How loud

Quieter than you expect. It should fade into the background within about a minute. If you wake in the night and the sound is the first thing you notice, lower it.

Timer or all night?

• Trouble falling asleep: a 30–60-minute timer with a gradual fade.
• Waking in the night: continuous at a very low level.

Speakers, pillow speakers or earbuds?

A small speaker or a pillow speaker is better for all-night use: no pressure on the ears, no risk of hours of headphone listening, and the level stays low. If you share a bed, a pillow speaker keeps the sound local.

If sleep is the real problem

If insomnia persists, ask a doctor about cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia (CBT-I), the usual first approach; sleep foundations also recommend regular schedules, less late caffeine and alcohol, and a dark, cool room. Talk to a professional if most nights are difficult.

Try Sleep Mode.

Important: Find My Quiet Sound is designed for sound masking, relaxation and tinnitus management support. It does not diagnose, treat or cure tinnitus and is not a substitute for professional medical care. If your tinnitus is new, in one ear only, pulsing with your heartbeat, or comes with hearing loss or dizziness, see a doctor or audiologist.

Written from the sources above by the Find My Quiet Sound project; no clinician has reviewed this page. See Research & Sources and the medical disclaimer.