Sleep is a super crucial component to everyone’s overall health. As I’m sure you know, when you are going through an eczema flare-up, sleep can be a nightmare! What makes it worse is that a lack of sleep is not only bad for your overall health, it make your eczema worse too.
This study found that eczema was associated with higher odds of fatigue, regular daytime sleepiness, and regular insomnia. The good news is that this doesn’t have to be you! By following some of these tips and tricks, a good night’s sleep with eczema is possible!
Keep it cool
For ideal sleep, keep your bedroom at 60-65 degrees. Depending on the time of year, it might be expensive to keep the air conditioner on that low! Invest in a fan. You’ll want to make sure that the fan doesn’t make a ton of noise and keep you up so be sure to choose a quiet fan!
Choose the right linens
Use blankets and bedding that’s made from breathable wicking fabric like bamboo or cotton. Check out this post on the best linen types for sensitive skin! You can learn all about micro-fiber, polyester/polyester blends, cotton, and bamboo linens.
Try wearing gloves
Believe it or not, some people will still scratch themselves while they are sleeping. Try wearing soft cotton gloves at night. This will cover your fingernails and reduce the incidence of itching. Just be sure to choose gloves that won’t make the eczema worse!
Wet wrapping
This is a popular, tried and true technique. You can read more about it here. Wet wraps get applied after a detox or soaking bath. Wet wraps are bandages/cloth material that get soaked in water and wrapped around problem areas. This can help skin stay moisturized and hydrated, prevent itching and scratching, soothe inflammation and heat, reduce swelling and pain, and help prevent infections!
Wet moisturizing
Giving your little one a bath and moisturizing before bedtime is a great way to reduce the itch! First, fill the tub with with use lukewarm water. Next, add 2 tbsp of soothing oil (coconut, olive, etc.) to the bath. Finally, before drying your child’s skin, apply a penetrating moisturizer and let it sit on the skin for 5 minutes before rubbing in the excess. (Psst…Don’t use soap in these baths!)
Be a “good sleeper”
- Put the electronics away! Put your phone on “do not disturb” mode during the hours that you want to be asleep. We are human – none of us can resist a vibration or a ding in the middle of the night! Try and keep TV watching away from your bedtime to reduce your exposure to blue light.
- Be consistent! Make sure that your sleep schedule is consistent 7 days per week. Yes, that means that you’ll need to wake up at the same time on a school/work day as you do on the weekend. I know that sounds brutal, but I promise it’ll be worth it. Your body (especially your sleep cycle) doesn’t know the difference between a weekday and a weekend!
- The bedroom is for sleeping! Try your best not to work, watch TV, play on your phone, play a video game, etc. in your bed room. The bedroom a should be a sleep-only zone to ensure you don’t get distracted at bed time.
- Shield your ears and eyes! Shield your eyes from light and protect your ears from noise that might disrupt sleep. A good eye mask and ear plugs should do the trick. Just be sure to get an eye mask that won’t irritate your eczema! If you are afraid you’ll irritate your eczema with an eye mask, you might consider blackout curtains!
- Diffuse lavender! It is well known that lavender has the ability to promote a good night’s sleep. (If you’re into essential oils, check out this post and find out how they can help heal your eczema!)