I've had tinnitus since I was in my 40's and started hearing "crickets" that weren't really there. In time it became ringing and humming, and a few years ago I occasionally had crazy scary nightmares and at one point woke up at 2 am thinking someone was outside the window with a buzz saw! I thought maybe I was going bonkers, and my primary doc suggested psychiatry, but I didn't want prescription antidepressants. I saw an MSW with expertise in battlefield trauma and nightmares instead, and she explained that this could be an ear/ brain isssue. The brain is alert and looking for sound, and can panic a bit at night when it hears silence, worrying that something bad is coming and creating nightmares. She suggested an all night sound machine with something that's soothing. For me it's continual light rain, or crickets, For 20 bucks on Amazon I got one with light rain and for 30, one with crickets. It worked for me.I wish you the best of luck in unraveling your own needs and solutions.