I wake in the middle of the night with whooshing sounds in my head and mild headaches. It use to be in the early morning hours. I began to wonder and checked my blood pressure and it was high. But tonight after being asleep for about 4 hours, it woke me up. I checked my blood pressure and it was 148/98. After I am up for a little while and have a cup of coffee it tends to go away. But the crickets sounds I have in my head are 24/7. I was told that was from hearing loss . I am a 57 yr old female. I am not overweight. I take alprazolam at bedtime and about two months ago my dr started me on zanaflez. I had major back surgery about 9 months ago. The wooshing and mild headaches started about 10 yrs ago but were sporadic. Lately they are happening on a regular basis. Only at night. I have read many articles about this and am confused. I have always been a side sleeper but lately because of my back problems tend to sleep more comfortably on my tummy with one leg pulled up and one hand under my pelvic area to remove the pressure from my lower back. I had a stent in my circumflex artery about 8 yrs ago (blockage was 60 %) I took Plavix for about 5 yrs and had explosive diahrea for about the first 3 hrs of EVERY day. After discontinuing the Plavix and starting an 81mg aspirin a day the diahrea has stomped. I don t know if I have sleep apnea , (I don t snore) or blocked carotid arteries. I do know I had a stress test and echo last oct. and was told I had a heart valve that had a little leakage but nothing to be concerned about at my age. I had to be cleared for back surgery by a cardiologist because of the stent. I have read so many possibilities for this that I am totally confused. It is interfering with my sleep now and is scaring me. What should my next steps be?