There are few things more frustrating than going to bed with your eczema relatively under control, only to wake up the following morning and discover that your sleeping self had other ideas.

Perhaps you've scratched an area that had finally started healing. Maybe you've woken up with blood on the sheets or skin underneath your fingernails. Worst of all, you might have absolutely no memory of doing it.

If you've spent the entire day consciously resisting the urge to scratch, it can feel particularly unfair.

So why does it happen?

Unconscious scratching is something many people with eczema experience, and it isn't simply a case of lacking self-control. A combination of increased night-time itching, the natural changes happening in our skin and body overnight, and the simple fact that we're asleep can make scratching much harder to control.

First Things First: Why Does Eczema Get So Itchy at Night?

We've previously looked in more detail at why eczema can become worse at night, but it's worth briefly revisiting it here.

Several things change when we go to bed.

Our skin temperature can change, inflammation follows our body's natural daily rhythms and eczema-prone skin can lose moisture overnight. Add warm bedding, sweat, friction and fewer distractions into the mix and suddenly an itch that was manageable at 3pm can feel considerably more demanding at 3am.

There may also be environmental factors involved. Bedding, dust mites, fragranced laundry products and fabrics that trap heat can all potentially add to irritation.

The result is fairly straightforward.

Your skin is giving your brain plenty of reasons to scratch at exactly the point when your conscious ability to say don't scratch that has gone to sleep.

Why Can't We Just Stop Ourselves Scratching?

During the day, scratching isn't always completely automatic.

You feel an itch. Your hand moves towards it. Then you catch yourself.

You might put your hands in your pockets, apply moisturiser or simply tell yourself not to do it.

When you're asleep, that conscious intervention isn't necessarily there.

Scratching can happen during periods of lighter sleep or brief awakenings that you don't remember the following morning. Your brain is still capable of responding to an irritating sensation even though you're not fully awake.

Think about how you might turn over, pull the duvet back when you're hot or move a pillow without remembering doing any of it.

Scratching can become another automatic response.

And unfortunately, eczema provides plenty of itchy signals for your sleeping brain to respond to.

The Itch-Scratch Cycle Doesn't Go to Sleep When You Do

This is where things can become particularly frustrating.

Scratching feels good for a reason.

For a few moments it can overwhelm the itchy sensation and provide relief. The problem is what happens afterwards.

Scratching can damage an already vulnerable skin barrier. That damage can increase inflammation and irritation, which creates more itching.

And so we arrive at the famous eczema itch-scratch cycle:

Itch → Scratch → Skin Damage → More Inflammation → More Itch

We've explored this in more detail in our guide to how clothing can trigger the eczema itch-scratch cycle.

At night this cycle can be especially difficult because you may repeat it several times without properly waking up.

You itch.

You scratch.

You briefly settle.

Your damaged skin becomes irritated again.

And your hand goes straight back.

By morning, an area that looked reasonably calm when you went to bed can look completely different.

Heat and Sweat Can Make Things Worse

Anyone who has experienced an eczema flare during hot weather will probably recognise this one.

Overheating and sweating can make itchy skin extremely uncomfortable.

Now imagine being underneath a duvet, wearing synthetic pyjamas and sleeping in a warm bedroom for eight hours.

It's easy to see how problems can begin.

This is one reason breathable nightwear can be particularly useful for eczema-prone skin.

Our Anti-Scratch PJ Set is made from 100% organic cotton and designed to be soft and breathable while providing a protective layer between fingernails and sensitive skin.

Similarly, our Anti-Scratch PJ Bottoms include close-fitting ankle cuffs to help stop them riding up during the night, while remaining light enough to avoid unnecessarily trapping heat.

The aim isn't to stop eczema itching altogether.

It's to avoid adding heat, friction and exposed skin to an already difficult situation.

Why Scratch Mittens Can Help When Willpower Can't

Telling somebody not to scratch in their sleep isn't particularly useful advice.

They're asleep.

Instead, it can make more sense to reduce the damage scratching can cause.

Our Adult Eczema Scratch Mitten T was designed specifically with this problem in mind. The 100% organic cotton top has integral mittens that cover the hands overnight, alongside flat internal seams and no irritating internal labels.

For children, the Kids' Eczema Scratch Mitten T works on the same principle, helping protect sore skin from fingernails during unconscious night-time scratching.

There is also an Open Hand Adult Scratch Mitten T for people who want the option of freeing their hands when needed.

Again, none of these products can remove the underlying eczema.

What they can do is create a softer barrier between your nails and your skin when you're not awake to stop yourself.

Sometimes damage limitation is every bit as important as prevention.

Can You Reduce Unconscious Scratching?

You probably can't simply train yourself not to scratch while you're asleep, but you can try to reduce the reasons your body wants to scratch in the first place.

Start by looking at your sleep environment.

Keeping the bedroom comfortably cool may help if heat is one of your triggers. Breathable bedding and nightwear can reduce heat build-up, while washing bedding regularly may help reduce potential irritants such as dust mites.

Your evening skincare routine matters too. Following the treatment and moisturising routine recommended for your eczema can help ensure your skin isn't going to bed unnecessarily dry.

Keeping fingernails short is another very simple step. It won't stop scratching, but shorter, smoother nails may reduce the amount of damage you can accidentally cause.

We've got more advice on creating a comfortable night-time environment in our articles Preparing for Better Sleep, Then Letting Go and A Guide to Better Sleep: Choosing the Right Bedding for Eczema Relief.

Don't Underestimate the Effect on Sleep

There's another side to unconscious scratching that deserves attention.

You might think you've slept for seven or eight hours because you don't remember waking up, but repeated scratching and brief awakenings can fragment sleep.

That matters.

Poor sleep can leave you exhausted and stressed the following day. Then you have to manage eczema while tired, before potentially facing another disrupted night.

Research into chronic itch has found an association between scratching and poorer sleep quality, including reduced sleep efficiency. So if night-time scratching is regularly disturbing your sleep, it isn't something you simply have to dismiss as part of having eczema.

If itching is severe, your skin is becoming infected or damaged, or you're regularly losing sleep because of eczema, speak to your GP, dermatologist or eczema healthcare professional.???

Your Sleeping Self Isn't Trying to Sabotage You

Perhaps this is the most important thing to remember.

Waking up to find you've scratched skin you'd spent days trying to heal can be incredibly frustrating.

But unconscious scratching isn't the same as deciding to scratch.

At night, your skin may be itchier at exactly the same time that your conscious ability to resist that itch is reduced.

You can't control every movement you make while you're asleep.

What you can do is make the environment around your skin as comfortable as possible and reduce the damage your hands can cause when your conscious brain has clocked off for the night.

Keep cool. Look after your skin before bed. Choose breathable fabrics. Keep your nails short. And, when scratching is particularly difficult to control, consider nightwear designed to put a soft layer between your fingernails and your skin.

Because sometimes getting a better night's sleep isn't about winning a battle with your sleeping self.

It's about making sure there's less of a battle to fight in the first place.