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

Persistent insomnia with tinnitus responds well to cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia, and sleep foundations 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.