Trouble Sleeping? Your Skin Might Have Something To Do With It, Study Finds

A night of poor sleep can easily show up on your skin. Dark circles, breakouts, inflammation, and a dull, sallow complexion can all betray a lack of shut-eye. Beauty sleep, we know, is very much real. 

The study, which was presented at the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology (EADV) Congress 2023, measured data from over 50,000 adults across 20 countries.

It found that almost half (42%) of participants with skin disease experience sleep disturbances. Itching, burning, and tingling sensations impacted sleep the most.

And "skin disease" casts a rather wide net—any inflammatory condition is technically a skin disease, including eczema, psoriasis, and even acne. 

According to board-certified holistic dermatologist Noreen Galaria, M.D., FAAD, it's the itchy conditions (think eczema and psoriasis) that may impact sleep the most.

"The itch is more prominent at night as your body cools down for sleep," she tells mindbodygreen. "This means as people are trying to fall asleep, heat is escaping through our skin to cool us down and make us ready for bed." And heat is a common trigger for inflammatory skin conditions, which can increase itchiness. 

"This, in turn, increases scratching right when patients are trying to wind down and relax, which creates a vicious cycle of trouble falling asleep," she adds. After all, feeling anxious about falling asleep often keeps you up even later. 

First things first: If you have an inflammatory skin condition, consulting a dermatologist will be your best bet. Especially if your symptoms keep you from achieving a good night's sleep, it's important to work with a professional for targeted treatments. That being said, researchers urge health care providers to ask about any sleep disturbances when examining patients with skin conditions, given the strong connection. 

For itchy skin conditions, identifying your triggers (which differ for everyone) is key. From there, keep your skin barrier strong and healthy with moisturizing, lipid-rich ingredients—think ceramides, squalane, fatty acids, etc. Galaria also recommends investing in a humidifier, since a dry environment can damage the moisture barrier and lead to itchiness and irritation. (Find our favorite options here.)