Supporting people who are struggling with sleep disturbance
Sleeping is an essential process that enables us to repair and regenerate, leaving us mentally and physically able to function during the day.
Itching associated with eczema can make getting to sleep and staying asleep a real challenge, and has a huge impact on quality of sleep.
Children who are struggling with sleep may be:
- Irritable and impatient
- Less able to concentrate and perform at work or school
- More accident prone
- More susceptible to emotional difficulties
The parents and carers of children are also more likely to suffer from sleep deprivation, so giving people practical strategies will benefit both children and their parents or carers:
Parents of children with eczema should not allow their child to share their bed.
Their child is likely to get too hot from the parent's body heat and there will be many more dust mites, both of which will make their child's itching worse.
- Focus on daytime hydration to reduce night-time itching - keeping skin hydrated is the key to minimising itching. An effective daily emollient routine will ensure a patient’s skin is optimally hydrated before bedtime, helping them to sleep.
- Preparing for sleep – Taking a cool bath about an hour before bedtime will help to take heat out of the skin helping to reduce the itch. Applying emollient, preferably an ointment, at least 30 minutes before bedtime will lock in moisture overnight and allow temporarily stimulated nerve endings in the skin to subside.
Creating a cool sleeping environment - A warm environment aggravates itching, so staying cool by regulating the bedroom
temperature (ideally 10-16°C), not sleeping next to a radiator, keeping the room ventilated and avoiding thick duvets will
prevent overheating. Cotton nightwear and cotton sheets can also help.
For some patients a short course of sedating antihistamine may be appropriate.1,3
Recognising the emotional impact » « Supporting parentsReferences:
- 1.National Collaborating Centre for Women's and Children's Health. Atopic eczema in children: management of atopic eczema in children from birth up to the age of 12 years. Clinical Guideline December 2007 (NICE Eczema Full Guideline) www.nice.org.uk
- 3.Primary Care Dermatology Society & British Association of Dermatologists (2006) Guidelines for the management of atopic eczema. (PCDSBAD-Eczema.pdf Accessed May 2009)