Did you ever notice that eczema always itches worse at night?
It’s actually a known fact that the body's level of cortisol (the hormone responsible for controlling itch and inflammation) actually peaks in the middle of the night. This might be one reason as to why skin always seems itchier at night.
Although we can’t always control this hormone, what are some ways to stop itchy skin at night?
Discover some recommendations below that might help you stop eczema itch at night.
As always, please make sure to seek medical attention if you or your little one are experiencing severe eczema.
Why Eczema Itches at Night?
In the video below, Dr. Peter Lio explains what causes eczema. According to Dr. Lio, eczema is caused by a leaky skin barrier. Once skin leaks, the barrier becomes more damaged, loses more water and triggers an inflammation response.
However, almost every case of eczema is unique. There are many different triggers such as clothing, bed sheets, different skincare products or even food allergies that can cause eczema to worsen at night.
What's most important is identifying these triggers and learning how to eliminate them from your lifestyle or diet.
To learn more about triggers and possibly what might be causing your eczema, make sure to check out How to Get Rid of Eczema Naturally.
How to Stop Itchy Skin At Night
So how do you specifically stop eczema itch at night?
As mentioned, you’ll want to identify your or your little one’s triggers to really understand why skin is itching at night.
Although we are in no way medical professionals, there are a few recommendations that have been proven successful for many sufferers, so we're going to highlight them here in this post for you.
Moisturize
Although identifying your triggers is the first step to fully healing your eczema, there are a variety of natural eczema treatments that can be used to help seal in skin’s moisture.
Organic Manuka Skin Soothing Cream—this cream is both anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory due to the manuka oil and manuka honey it contains. Not only is it super nourishing for dry, itchy skin, but it can be used on the entire body – including the face and super sensitive eyelids and lips.
Emily Skin Soothers for Itchy Eczema—an excellent choice for moisturizing dry, itchy skin. Its mixture of Chinese herbs and olive oil help nourish and protect skin from further irritation.
Zinc embedded Pajamas
Remedywear™ are form fitted garments meant to fit like a second skin and are constructed with TENCEL and zinc-embedded fibers that are clinically proven to improve quality of sleep and reduce the severity of itching and other atopic dermatitis symptoms when worn for three nights in a row.[1] Read more about Remedywear in this post about Why Eczema Clothes Are An Important Part of Eczema Therapy.
Remedywear™ works best when worn overnight or all day under other garments for soothing relief for long periods of time.
Remedywear™ was awarded the National Eczema Association Seal of Acceptance™.
Scratch Protection
Finding proper skincare that offers relief is a great step towards healing eczema, but what about truly protecting itchy skin at night?
Scratch mittens can be a true lifesaver in the eczema journey. Not only are these mittens sensitive for eczema prone skin, but the mittens eliminate the possibility of scratching skin raw.
ScratchSleeves with Scratch Mittens—keep children’s skin completely protected from relentless scratching during the day or overnight.
Comfymitt Top for Adults —an option for adults who may be scratching skin subconsciously while they sleep. Includes closed, protective mittens that completely cover hands.
Remedywear Gloves for Kids—perfect for overnight use, as are all Remedywear items as mentioned above. These lightweight, breathable gloves keep skin protected from irritants while eliminating the possibility of scratching. The cuff band help them stay on and the stretchy fabric helps them last longer than traditional cotton gloves.
Remedywear Gloves for Adults—like the version for kids above, but bigger, these gloves are a great option for adults to keep hands protected while avoiding scratching. The antibacterial and anti-inflammatory zinc is hugely beneficial for eczema relief.
Dry and Wet Wrap Therapy
If skin is particularly dry, itchy or inflamed, then perhaps it’s time to heal with dry or wet wrap therapy.
Both these methods use skincare along with eczema clothing or wraps to allow emollients to permeate the skin.
Although dry wrapping is a much easier and less messy option, wet wrap therapy can provide quick results for itchy skin at night.
Some eczema clothing or wrap choices can be:
Remedywear Eczema Sleeves —form fitting sleeves that can be worn alone or under clothing. Works well for dry wrap therapy alone by offering soothing relief for itchy, dry skin.
Adult Scratch Sleeves with Anti Scratch Mitts - made with 100% stretch cotton and natural silk mitts, these anti scratch mittens for adults are great for protecting the skin from scratching during day or night.
For other wet wrapping options for itchy skin at night, check out our wet wraps for eczema relief .
Elimination Diet
If the above recommendations cannot relieve itchy skin at night, then we suggest looking much deeper for answers.
An elimination diet can help you determine whether certain foods might be causing your eczema to trigger. To learn more about elimination diets, make sure to check out the blog post: How to Start and Elimination Diet for Eczema.
Resources
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC41208...
https://nationaleczema.org/eczema/
References:
[1] Wiegand, 2013, Skin-protective effects of a zinc oxide-functionalized textile and its relevance for atopic dermatitis. Clin Cosmet Investig Dermatol; 6: 115–121. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3656...
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Bio: Laura is a contributor and content developer for The Eczema Company. She is in no way a medical professional. Her comments, suggestions, and reflections are not intended to replace any medical advice. Always seek the help of a medical professional before undertaking any diet or lifestyle changes.
