Scientists claim that about 900 million individuals Trusted Source worldwide have a skin disease at any given time. There are more than 3,000 known skin diseases. Some of the most common types of skin conditions include acne, contact dermatitis, psoriasis, rosacea, and atopic dermatitis, which is also known as eczema.
Depending on the type and severity of the skin condition, many can impact a person’s life by causing stress or depression Trusted Source. Many skin conditions can be chronically itchy or painful which causes discomfort.
Recently, a team of researchers presented a study at the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology (EADV) Congress 2023 stating that 42% of individuals around the world with skin disease experience sleep disturbances with potential implications on their overall quality of life.
The research results were taken from a comprehensive international research initiative called the ALL PROJECT, which examined information from more than 17,000 adults in 20 countries to assess the impact of skin diseases.
When examining the data, the research team reported that 42% of respondents with skin disease experienced sleep disturbances. The main symptoms impacting respondents’ sleep were itching (60%) and burning sensations or tingling (17%).
Researchers found these sleep disturbances have broader implications on everyday life. For example, 49% of respondents reported less productivity at work, compared to 19% of respondents without a skin disease.
Furthermore, respondents with skin disease were more likely to experience tiredness as soon as they wake from sleep, periods of drowsiness during the day, tingling sensations in their eyes, and continuously yawning than respondents who did not have a skin disease.
Going ahead, healthcare givers should be stimulated to combine sleep disturbance questions into the checkups of patients with skin conditions to encourage a better understanding of the impact of skin diseases, said Dr. Bruno Halioua, a dermatologist in private practice in Paris and France.
This is not the first study to tie sleep disturbances to skin conditions such as eczema.
In November 2021 a study was published, which reported a high prevalence of sleep disorders in individuals with skin disorders, which many times lead to reduced daytime performance, impaired sleep among the patients’ relatives, and increased use of substances.
A literature review Trusted Source published in February 2023 noted that sleep disturbances in individuals with chronic inflammatory skin diseases such as atopic dermatitis and psoriasis may also worsen the condition’s inflammation.
The types of medications a person is taking for a skin disease may also impact their sleep. A review Trusted Source published in June 2023 observed that some medications mainly used for skin conditions have been connected with alterations to a person’s sleep-wake cycle.
After reviewing this study, Dr. Alexis Young, a dermatologist with Hackensack University Medical Center in New Jersey, told that the research results were not surprising.
I was not surprised. Itch sensation is carried by the same nerve fiber as pain and as such, can be extremely disruptive to a patient dealing with a skin disease, like atopic dermatitis — both during the day and at night, Young explained. Itch is always worse at night when we have less distractions than during the day.
As a skin doctor who focuses on severe atopic dermatitis, Dr. Peter Lio, clinical assistant professor of dermatology and pediatrics at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine in Illinois, told that most of his patients report a significant impact on their sleep.
Most skin problems are connected with some symptoms, such as itch, stinging, and discomfort, and that can certainly affect sleep, said Lio. Additionally, there’s a great deal of psychological stress which comes with skin disorders and it is not surprising that even in the absence of symptoms, sleep disturbance can be seen.
Dr. Benjamin Ungar, an assistant professor in the Department of Dermatology and director of the Alopecia Center of Excellence at Mount Sinai in New York said that, the findings can help reinforce to doctors which successful treatment of skin disease is holistic, in which improvement is seen beyond just skin manifestations.
Asking patients about sleep disturbance and educating them which is an important part of their disease can help to lead to better outcomes by making sure that it is addressed with treatment.
While these findings are not surprising, I do think they are extremely important because they actually measure the detrimental impact on daily activities caused by sleep disruption from skin disease. These findings, which includes loss of productivity in the workplace due to fatigue and decreased concentration may help with future drug research and innovation, drug approval as well as insurance coverage for these drugs.
As for the next steps in this research, Ungar said he would like to see research dig further into the relationship to understand which skin diseases have the highest impact, which sociodemographic factors contribute to high risk for sleep disorders and to find out how treatments can lead to better results.
Researchers need to continue to explore these patient-reported outcomes, such as sleep in other skin diseases beyond atopic dermatitis and psoriasis.
Since we have made impressive progress in these conditions, we need to continue to apply it to other diseases, including those which are less common, he said.
