I have bouts of insomnia. This has been far more so as I have been taking antihistamines to make me sleep and reduce the itch I feel when in bed.
Right now I have had a 2 week spell of sleep deprivation. Although I am relaxed specific parts of my body take it in turn to feel itchy - body/leg/arm/neck. I can drink lots of water and not much seems to happen. Putting ice on the area will alleviate the symptoms temporarily but the BEST medicine here is sleep.
What Happens to the Body Physiology When it Does not Sleep?
Having looked up this question, it is well documented that within the body sleep deprivation causes:
- A decrease in core body temperature
- A decrease in immune system function as measured by white cell count and activity
- A decrease in the release of growth hormone
- Other hormone imbalances (look up sleep deprivation physiology)
- Enhanced activity on the Hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis. This controls reactions to stress and regulates body functions such as digestion, the immune system, mood, sex, or energy usage
Sleep and Eczema
So now focus on the bullet point about the enhanced activity of the Hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis and that this decreases the immune system functions.
Sleep becomes an extremely important factor in order for the skin in eczema to repair itself and become more resilient to the rash symptoms. Studies have shown that the ability to heal is thus reduced when we are sleep starved.
It is no wonder that my skin feels so poor. Fortunately, last night I finally had a continuous sleep period of 9 hours and today my skin feels better. It is amazing how one night out of so many sleepless nights can make my body feel so much better.
Pharmcies out there - we need a cream to make our skin feel calm when we don't sleep!
2 comments:
Yay Auntee!!! You met the "2weeks" timeframe for getting over your jet lag!
Congrats! :)
errrmmmm.... innit better to sleep & get a chance to recover than to use a cream to suppress symptoms ????
also, for some unavoidable reasons, i find that life is so much less stressful, sleep attends me more easily and and I feel so much better if I don't work. But but but must go to work becos (singing the dwarfs song) I OWE, I OWE, IT'S OFF TO WORK I GO! lalalala lalalala lalalala lala, I OWE, I OWE, I OWE!
Melly Klissmuss to u!
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