Is Atopic Dermatitis Affecting Your Sleep?

What's Your Atopic Dermatitis Sleep Score? Take the Assessment for Your Personalized Sleep Plan

By
Updated on July 22, 2026
by

Everyone has an occasional sleepless night for one reason or another. But if you have atopic dermatitis, you might be missing out on more shut-eye than you think.

Chronic itching or pain, for example, may wake you up at night or rouse you into a lighter sleep stage, subconsciously interrupting your shut-eye. Moreover, some research has shown that sleep deprivation may actually worsen atopic dermatitis by exacerbating inflammation, creating a vicious cycle of flare-ups and sleepless nights.

Take this two-minute assessment — crafted with Jonathan Silverberg, MD, PhD, a dermatologist and associate professor of dermatology at The George Washington University School of Medicine in Washington, DC, and Aaron Drucker, MD, a dermatologist and clinician scientist at the University of Toronto — to learn how much atopic dermatitis is affecting your sleep, consciously or not.

Question 1

Does your skin feel itchier or more painful when you go to bed at night than it does during the day?

Is-Atopic-Dermatitis-Interfering-With-Your-Sleep-question-3-alt-1440x810
  • A. Yes
  • B. No
EDITORIAL SOURCES
Everyday Health follows strict sourcing guidelines to ensure the accuracy of its content, outlined in our editorial policy. We use only trustworthy sources, including peer-reviewed studies, board-certified medical experts, patients with lived experience, and information from top institutions.
Resources
  1. Samaniego M et al. Sleep in Dermatologic Conditions: A Review. JAAD Reviews. June 2025.
  2. Sugiyama A et al. Nocturnal Scratching and Quality of Sleep in Children With Atopic Dermatitis. Acta Dermato-Venereologica. October 23, 2023.
Additional Sources
  • Silverberg JI et al. Epidemiology and Burden of Sleep Disturbances in Atopic Dermatitis in US Adults. Dermatitis. November–December 2022.
  • What Are Sleep Deprivation and Deficiency? National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. March 24, 2022.
  • How Much Sleep Is Enough? National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. March 24, 2022.
  • Staffe AT et al. Total Sleep Deprivation Increases Pain Sensitivity, Impairs Conditioned Pain Modulation and Facilitates Temporal Summation of Pain in Healthy Participants. PLoS One. December 4, 2019.
  • Halioua B et al. Prevalence of Excessive Daytime Sleepiness Among Patients With Atopic Dermatitis. Skin Health and Disease. August 2023.
  • Jung DW et al. Estimation of Sleep Onset Latency Based on the Blood Pressure Regulatory Reflex Mechanism. IEEE Journal of Biomedical and Health Informatics. May 2013.
  • Li JC et al. Sleep Disturbance and Sleep-Related Impairment in Adults With Atopic Dermatitis: A Cross-Sectional Survey-Based Study. Dermatitis. September–October 2018.
  • Are You Getting Enough Sleep? Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. September 19, 2022.
  • Alnawwar MA et al. The Effect of Physical Activity on Sleep Quality and Sleep Disorder: A Systematic Review. Cureus. August 16, 2023.
  • Hedman-Lagerlof E et al. Internet-Delivered Cognitive Behavior Therapy for Atopic Dermatitis. JAMA Dermatology. May 19, 2021.
Meet Our Experts
See Our Editorial PolicyMeet Our Health Expert Network

Ross Radusky, MD

Medical Reviewer
Castle Connolly Top Doctor

Ross Radusky, MD, is a practicing board-certified dermatologist at the Dermatology Treatment and Research Center in Dallas. Originally from New York City, he graduated summa cum la...

See full bio

Julie Stewart

Author

Julie Stewart is an author and editor with more than a decade of experience in health, science, and lifestyle writing. Her articles have appeared online for Men’s Health, Women’s H...

See full bio
See Our Editorial PolicyMeet Our Health Expert Network