EczemaZones - Patient and Carer Zone

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2. What is eczema?
   
   1. What causes eczema?
   2. Why has my child got eczema?
   3. Will my child's eczema get better or go away?
   4. What causes my child's eczema to flare-up?
   5. How do I look out for signs of infection?
3. How treatment works
   
   1. Getting to grips with your child's emollient »
      
      1. Ointments, creams, lotions or gels
      2. Building a daily emollient routine
   2. Using topical steroids with confidence
   3. Other treatments available to your child
   4. Seeing a specialist
4. Living with eczema
   
   1. Supporting your child
   2. Coping with sleep disturbance
5. More info
6. Accessibility

Coping with sleep disruption

Sleeping well is essential for everyone! It enables our bodies to repair and regenerate, leaving us mentally and physically able to function during the day. But night time itching can make it difficult for children with eczema to get to sleep at bedtime and to stay asleep for the whole night. This can have a huge impact on the quality of sleep your child gets.

If your child is struggling to sleep, he or she may be:

• Irritable and impatient
• Less able to concentrate at school
• More accident prone
• More likely to become emotionally distressed by their eczema

When children with eczema are sleep deprived, we know that their parents and carers are likely to suffer too. So here are some practical ways to get a better nights sleep for both you and your child:

Focus on daytime hydration to reduce night time itching

Keeping your child's skin well moisturised is the key to reducing how much it itches. Sticking to an effective daily emollient routine will mean your child's skin is well hydrated at bedtime, which will help them to sleep.

Prepare your child for sleep

Taking a cool bath (with an emollient bath additive) about an hour before bedtime will help to take heat out of your child's skin and add vital moisture, both of which will help to reduce their itch. You should apply their emollient, preferably an ointment, at least 30 minutes before bedtime to lock in moisture overnight. Applying cream or ointment to the skin temporarily stimulates nerve endings, so doing it 30 minutes before bed means the feeling will have passed by the time your child goes to sleep.

Create a cool sleeping environment

Sleeping in a warm bed, in a warm room can aggravate itching. You can help your child to stay cool by:

• Controlling the bedroom temperature (ideally 10-16°C)
• Making sure the bed isn't next to a radiator
• Keeping the room ventilated – opening a window can help
• Avoiding thick duvets – go for lighter, cotton sheets instead
• Buying your child cotton or silk nightwear

Don't let your child share your bed

You child is far more likely to over heat from your body heat making their itch much worse. And there may be many more dust mites in your bed which can also make your child’s eczema worse.

More info » « Supporting your child