Itching can occur at any time, but it always seems worse at night.  It is also more difficult to control – especially in young children.

Night itching can be minimized

To help minimize the damage caused by excessive night itching keep your child’s fingernails well trimmed and cover as much of their skin in clothing as possible.  Be careful not to overheat your child so select clothing that is a lightweight cotton.  Cotton mitts may need to be applied and in some cases the arms may need to be splinted to stop intractable scratching.

The skin should always be well moisturized before a child goes to bed and emollients to treat the eczema should be applied at the same time.  This will at least enable the child to go to bed with their skin as comfortable as possible and hopefully enable them to go off to sleep before their skin becomes itchy and irritated.

Do not overheat the bedroom or allow the air to dry out.  A well ventilated room (with out drafts) is optimal.  Minimizing dust mite will also be beneficial.  Select cotton bedding and avoid woolen or synthetic bed covers.  It is also best to not allow pets to sleep on your child’s bed either during the day or of a night with them.

If night itching persists discuss the problem with your doctor.  He may prescribe an antihistamine to minimize night itching and aid in sleep.

Night-time itches summary

Although itching is the main problem associated with eczema the itching often feels worse of a night.   Keep the skin well moisturized and covered in cotton clothing, and do not allow the skin to over heat.  This should help to keep the night-time itches at bay.