Patients with psoriasis often suffer from a lack of sleep due to itching and scratching. Indeed, studies have shown that patients with psoriasis are more likely to be affected by obstructive sleep apnoea or restless leg syndrome. However, certain measures can be adopted to alleviate these symptoms and regain quality sleep.
How to improve sleep when dealing with psoriasis?
Summary
Published on February 20, 2024, by Manon, Scientific Editor — 3 min of reading
Themes:
Advice No. 1: Relax before going to sleep.
Advice No. 2: Wear suitable clothing.
Instead, choose clothing in which you are comfortable and favour those made from cotton, silk or silver fibre, which help to soothe itching and irritation.
Advice No. 3: Maintain your skin before going to bed.
Establish a nightly routine that properly hydrates the skin while soothing it. For your daily cleansing, opt for a gentle soap without drying or aggressive elements. On the shampoo front, choose a natural product with less risk of irritating the scalp. Ensure that the formulation is "healthy" and "natural", particularly free from perfumes. Indeed, these tend to exacerbate itching.
Advice No. 4: Keep a soothing lotion close to the bed.
Place a soothing lotion or cream next to your bed. Apply it directly as soon as itching begins. This will prevent you from scratching, getting up and thus disturbing your sleep cycle.
Advice No.5: Refresh your bedroom.
Keep your room at a sufficiently low temperature, not exceeding 18°C. In this way, you will improve your ability to fall asleep and limit night-time awakenings. In the case of a warm room, consider airing it for about 15 minutes before going to bed. Furthermore, it has been suggested that a dry air induces the synthesis of epidermal DNA, the increase in keratinocyte proliferation and markers of inflammation. To remedy this, use an air humidifier, thereby maintaining a good level of humidity.
Advice No. 6: Take care of your diet.
Gluten, the sugar, caffeine, the alcohol are known to promote inflammation. Therefore, banish wheat and its derivatives, malt, barley as well as certain processed foods in favour of fibre. In the evening, prefer foods rich in tryptophan. This amino acid promotes the production of the sleep hormone: melatonin. Whole rice, the dairy products, fish are all foods rich in tryptophan.
Source
GUPTA M. A. & al. Psoriasis and sleep-disorders: A systematic review. Sleep Medicine Reviews (2015).
