Oh Those, Summer Nights (With Psoriasis)

Mosquitos may be smug thinking they hold the most painful itch - but they would be wrong. The psoriasis itch simply has no mercy and rivals any mosquito by far. It's insatiable, dreadful and fire burning.

We're all familiar with it - because - though we do our best to ignore it and withhold our hands from making any sudden scratching movements, it never goes away. During the day, it's easy, we're busy and distracted. But at night? Forget about it. Though we may be exhausted from the day, the itch is awake, alive and ready to irritate.

Tips for managing psoriasis on hot summer evenings!

The cooler months tend to make this intense nocturnal symptom manageable but during the summer? Whew. The warmer my body is, the more the itch spreads and infiltrates. This makes for long nights and restless sleep. So, what's an itchy tired girl to do?

I've implemented a few helpful nighttime changes that allow me to be close to comfortable at night during those sweaty, humid summer months. These are a few things I attempt to control or guide in the right direction to make those summer nights a bit more tolerable.

Being aware of friction

At night, there is no laying still for me. I am a mover and shaker. At times, it feels like tiny needles poking my psoriasis skin all over. The friction I'm talking about is caused by pajamas and bedding. I use a good quality cotton sheet - and partner it with good quality pajamas too. If I find myself still in friction pain, I'll sleep in my birthday suit.

This makes a big difference and eliminates irritants. I recommend staying away from any fabric that creates static, satin, and the like.

Could you be dehydrated?

After a hot sunny day, it would make sense for our bodies to crave some water at night. Even if we're drinking throughout the day. I seem to get quickly dehydrated at night - my skin is dry and I find myself more thirsty than usual. The minute my skin and body dehydrates, I feel the itch of my skin increases dramatically.

I keep a full water bottle next to my bed at night and make sure to drink up. Doing my best to ensure I drink enough water to keep my body and skin hydrated.

The classic psoriasis solution: moisturize!

Dry skin is equal to itchy skin. While hydrating my body from the inside is important to me, equally is, moisturizing my skin on the outside. To avoid crazy itching spells at night, I do a double layer of moisturizing. I apply one generous layer and allow it to soak in, and a short while later, I will apply an extra layer.

These approach allows my skin to absorb enough to carry it through the night. Often in the morning, a lot of the dead scales have lifted which makes for easier days.

Let's talk temp

If possible and you are lucky enough to have a way to cool your room down, take the opportunity to do so. Tossing, turning and sweating can be one major psoriasis irritant. I will also encourage you to be mindful of anything that may dry your skin out further.

I used a fan that blows in the room, and not directly onto my skin. This helps regulate the temperature without annoying my skin too much.