5 Ways To Make Bedtime Easier

Getting the right amount of sleep is vital for health. If your child has eczema you'll know how disrupted their sleep can be.

Here are 5 ways to make bedtime easier and help them get the right amount of sleep, which will be extremely beneficial for their health and their eczema.

1. Have a routine. As a parent you'll already know how important having a nightly routine is, and how it helps to settle your child for the night. Putting them to bed at the same time and reading to them helps them to relax and keeps their mind off their itchy skin

2. Add lavender oil to their bath. When your child has a bath just before going to bed, add a few drops to the water and mix well. Lavender oil can reduce inflammation. This in turn will lessen itchiness and help them to have a better sleep. The oil will also make your little one a little drowsy, so they will drop off to sleep easier

3. Keep their bedroom cool. Have a small window open, or a big window if it is safe to do so. Any amount of fresh air can keep the room ventilated and keep your child's skin cool. Also try to leave the radiators turned off in their bedroom. They take the moisture out of the air so drying out the skin, making it feel irritated and itchy. If you must have the radiator on leave a bowl of water under it to add some moisture back into the air

4. Moisturise. Your child's skin will need moisturising throughout the day, especially so at night. Moisturise it thoroughly before they go to bed. If their eczema is severe use an occlusion dressing under their nightwear. Dressing helps the absorption of an emollient into the skin, as well as keeping treatment off nightwear and bedding. Applying an emollient and covering with a dressing keeps the skin cool and less prone to itchiness. A dressing also makes it harder for your child to scratch

5. Regularly clean their bedroom. Dust and dust mites can be an issue for some eczema sufferers, and an even bigger issue if they also suffer from asthma. Changing their bedding regularly is extremely beneficial. Washing bedding and curtains at at least 60c will kill the dust mites. Limiting the number of soft toys in their bedroom also helps as they collect dust. Any soft toys, pillows and duvets can be put in a bin bag and put in the freezer for a day or two as very cold temperatures will also kill them. When cleaning their bedroom only damp dust to remove dust and dirt. Wet a cloth, wring it out and wipe the dust away. The dust will stick to the wet cloth, while a feather duster or dry cloth will just spread the dust around