What sounds mask tinnitus?

I spoke with a customer last week who said she hadn't slept a full night in months due to her tinnitus. Instead of a "ringing," she described it as a high pitched screech, "like a tea kettle that just won't stop." She told me she tried everything, from YouTube recordings of heavy rain to white noise machines and massive, industrial earmuffs, but nothing worked for her. Unfortunately, she's not alone. Most people try to drown out the ringing, but that's like putting out a house fire with a garden hose.

Many people I speak with think they need a sound louder than the tinnitus to drown it out. But if you blast a white noise machine loud enough to bury a scream, you're essentially trading one irritation for another. Instead of resting, you'll just be exhausted by a different kind of noise.

What actually helps isn't just other "noise," but the actual frequency. You'll want to find a sound, like a steady brown noise or the rhythmic crash of waves, that occupies the same "space" in your brain as the ringing. The goal isn't to overpower the ringing, but to make the tinnitus meld into the background.

Most people try to use bulky headphones that press against their heads or hard earbuds that easily get jammed into their ears, but those only increase their awareness of the noise. That's why we intentionally designed SleepPhones® headphones. We realized that for something to work, the sound needs to be intimate. It must be delivered unobtrusively so your brain can finally stop scanning for threats and just let go. With flat, padded speakers nestled into a soft, breathable headband, SleepPhones® headphones gently rest over your ears. This allows you to easily drift off and sleep effortlessly in any position. Again, it's not about the noise's volume, but how well it blends in. With SleepPhones® headphones, you can achieve this comfortably.

Find more answers on our "Frequently Asked Questions" page.