Burr, it’s getting chilly! Time for those adorable footie pajamas that I secretly wish I could wear. But in addition to cute apparel now the heat is on, there isn’t as much fresh air, and our skin starts to crack! It’s just as true for babies except they are even more likely to have skin issues start to creep up.
According to the national eczema association, 13% of all children in the U.S. have atopic dermatitis or eczema. This is quite high for a condition occurring in childhood. Also turns out that October is eczema awareness month so I thought it fitting to discuss how eczema can affect your little one’s sleep.
According to a study published earlier this year children with atopic dermatitis have statistically significant worse sleep quality than those without the disease. During active flares, they are more restless in their sleep, awaken more often, and spend more time awake after the onset of sleep. Children with only active atopic dermatitis (no other disease) had nearly 50% higher odds of reporting more sleep-quality disturbances throughout childhood, compared with those who never reported atopic dermatitis.
While it is normal for infants to have awakenings during the night the first few months of life if your baby or child is waking frequently, and they have eczema, talk to your child’s pediatrician about how you may better treat their skin concerns. If you aren’t sure if they have eczema please reach out to your child’s provider to ask more. This is also why it’s important to discuss your child’s awakenings with your pediatrician prior to starting a sleep training program or implementing a plan because you always want to make sure nothing medical is impeding their sleep first.
If once that skin is moisturized and back to being as smooth as their bottom, but they still have a hard time with their sleep then please reach out to Nested Sleep so we can get them rested and sleeping soundly in those cozy pjs.
References:
Ramirez FD, Chen S, Langan SM, et al. Association of Atopic Dermatitis With Sleep Quality in Children. JAMA Pediatr. Published online May 01, 2019173(5):e190025. doi:10.1001/jamapediatrics.2019.0025
https://nationaleczema.org/eczema/children/atopic-dermatitis/
