Sleep is essential for everyone’s health, but when you have severe eczema, going to bed can be extra stressful. The ironic thing is that without enough sleep, your eczema can get worse.

Remember that you should be getting seven to eight hours of sleep per night. But, sometimes eczema can get in the way of us getting the recommended hours of sleep.

People that have eczema have a higher chance of experiencing fatigue, daytime sleepiness, and insomnia.

So, what can you do to improve sleep when living with severe eczema?

Room Temperature

For starters, you should be aware of the close relationship between your body temperature and eczema. The hotter you are, the worse your eczema will get.

A lot of people wake up during the night because they become overheated and the itching gets worse.

There is no universal temperature that works for everyone, so you need to find your ideal sleeping temperature and stick to it.

However, a temperature between 3 and 5 degrees seems to be comfortable and cool enough.

Linens

The material of the linens you sleep on is also very important when it comes to your body temperature when you sleep.

Protective dust mite covers for your pillow and mattresses could help you a great deal.

It’s best to sleep on 100% natural fabrics, like cotton and bamboo.

Change your bed linens frequently and keep them as clean as possible, so dust mites and skin debris won’t affect your sleep.

Nighttime Scratching

Throughout the day, you may be good at controlling yourself when it comes to scratching eczema patches. But, at night you might find yourself scratching them unconsciously.

Keep your nails trimmed and neat at all times to avoid making your eczema patches worse.

Also, you can try wearing soft cotton gloves at night to train yourself to stop itching.

Moisturize Your Skin Before Bed

Dry skin can wake you up during the night several times. You can prevent this by applying a moisturizer half an hour before going to bed. This way, the ointments have time to better sink into your skin.

You can also benefit from applying moisturizer right after you get out of a bath or a shower.

Sleep Hygiene

If you want to improve your sleep, it’s quite beneficial to practice good sleep hygiene.

That means to stick to a regular bedtime and wake-up time every single day.

It trains your body to go to sleep and also stay asleep.

In the evening hours, it’s useful to avoid eating heavy meals, drinking caffeine or alcohol, or smoking. These habits might disrupt your sleep.

Turn off all electronic devices that emit blue light an hour before going to bed. They can trick your brain that it’s still daytime and affect your sleep negatively.

A dark room will provide you a better night’s sleep.

By incorporating all these steps you can lower the feelings of stress and anxiety. And this can contribute to improving your eczema and reducing your flare-ups.

Sleepwear

Just like the fabrics on your bed, sleepwear can affect the quality of your night’s rest.

The more comfortable the sleepwear is, the better your sleep is.

The first thing you would like to avoid is sweating. So, pick something light to wear when it’s hot. Avoid anything that is rough, scratchy, or tight.

Your pajamas should be airy, loose, and made from breathable fabrics. If you can wear pajamas that are made of 100% cotton, that would be ideal.

By following our tips, you should be sleeping around seven to eight hours per night.