There are numerous causes of eczema flare-ups. Stress, anxiety, and dry skin are some of the more notable causes of eczema flare-ups. Flare-ups may also arise from coming into contact with everyday household items and irritants. For some people, even the foods and drinks they consume can also cause flare-ups.
In the context of sleeping, however, covering your body with rough clothes is a prevalent cause of eczema flare-ups. Fabrics that are rough due to wear and tear or material characteristics can cause topic dermatitis flares. In the same light, your bedsheets and nightclothes that trap a lot of heat can cause overheating and night sweat, which can trigger eczema itching.
Below we’ll take a closer look into what people with eczema should look for when buying bed sheets. I’ll also share with you what I think are the best bed sheets for people with eczema.
What Features Should People with Eczema Look For When Buying Bedding
Soft
With eczematous skin, the last thing you want is for your skin to rub against rough clothes or bedding as you sleep. Rough bedding will irritate your skin, potentially initiating a flare-up that will keep you awake all night. For you to avoid flare-ups, anything your skin touches in bed should be soft to the touch.
Less Friction
Related to softness, an essential quality your bedding should have is smoothness. The bedsheet should be silky smooth and ‘glide’ over your skin without any friction. If your bed linens glide instead of rub, they are much less likely to cause any irritation that initiates the dreaded itch-scratch cycle.
Good Thermoregulator
A good thermoregulator bedsheet is a bedsheet that can keep you cool during warm nights and keep you warm on cool nights. As such, it allows the body to maintain a stable core temperature. It’s important to note that the body’s temperature control mechanism for older adults suffering from eczema can be flawed, and overheating is common. Anything that can aid in reducing temperature spikes will help a lot.
Moisture-Wicking
Sweating can be a trigger for itchiness and scratching. If you’re particularly prone to sweat-induced itchiness, you should buy bedsheets that wick the sweat away and keep you dry. This means they pull the moisture and clammy feeling away from the body.
Comfortable
Your bedsheet shouldn’t feel like a weight on your body throughout the night. Seniors with eczematous skin should use light bedsheets that do not compress the skin but rather lightly cover the skin. This also helps them get less tangled up.
RELATED: Best Bedding for Older Adults
Best Bed Sheets for Eczema
Based on the important features above, here are my recommended bed linens for people with eczema.
Cool-Jams Cooling Bamboo Sheet Sets
- Made using 100% rayon woven bamboo
- 300 thread count
- Hypoallergenic
- Moisture-wicking
- Soft, silky, and lightweight
- Eco-friendly
These sheets offer nearly everything a person with eczema needs for a better night’s sleep. They are free from harsh chemicals, made of soft all-natural bamboo, breathable, and temperature-regulating. All of which can reduce itchiness which can improve your sleep!
These bamboo moisture-wicking sheets are eco-friendly and naturally hypoallergenic and odor-reducing. This moisture-wicking ability is what helps regulate your sleep temperature. And, as you know, cooler sleeping temperatures mean less aggravation from your eczema.
You will also love the feel of these sheets against your skin. Because they are similar to soft, silky cashmere, they will glide against your skin rather than rub against it. So, they are less likely to cause pain in your sensitive areas which could mean you wake up less.
This sheet set can be machine washed at home and is available in all the common bed sizes. Choose from 5 different colors.
Sleep & Beyond Organic Sheet Set
- Made using 100% organic combed cotton
- 300 thread count
- Hypoallergenic
- Moisture control
- Soft, smooth, and lightweight
- Pre-shrunk
The Organic Sheet Set is manufactured using GOTs-certified organic cotton sateen with a thread count of 300. The fabric is manufactured using high-quality inputs, ensuring you have a high-quality product to cover yourself while sleeping.
The combination of soft and soothing texture and hypoallergenic properties of the 100% organic cotton reduce eczema flare-ups from arising due to irritants. Additionally, the moisture-wicking properties of the fabric reduce sweat-induced flare-ups from occurring.
I personally use Sleep & Beyond sheets. They sent me a free set, and I’ve used them consistently since. While I don’t have eczema, I am a “hot sleeper” and only like to use cooling, lightweight sheets. These keep me cooler at night and no more waking up in a puddle of sweat as I did before.
Peach Skin Sheet Set
- Made of high-performance breathable poly fiber,
- 1500 thread count,
- Ultra-soft feel,
- Pill-resistant and durable, and
- Moisture-wicking,
Made of advanced poly-fabric, the Peach Skin’s sheet sets are a unique set of bed sheets. It’s been explicitly designed to cater to people with atopic dermatitis, the most common type of eczema. The sheets are incredibly soft while still being affordable.
Unlike other bedsheets in this list made using cotton or bamboo fabric, Peach Skin’s sheets are manufactured using high-grade, high-performance poly fiber. The variety of poly fiber used to manufacture these is the same fabric used to manufacture high-performance athletic wear.
So, the fabric performs exceptionally well when wicking sweat away and keeping you dry, and negating instances of itching.
Additionally, the poly fabric resists pilling, which causes the formation of the little balls that build up on the sheets after washing. The roly-polies are more than an eye-sore; they cause itchiness. By resisting the formation of these balls, these sheets protect your skin.
Saatva Organic Sateen Sheet Set
- Naturally, hypoallergenic and supremely breathable
- 300-thread count
- Sateen Weave
- Manufactured using organic cotton
- Made using fair trade cotton
Made using long a Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS)-certified organic fibers woven using the sateen weave, these sheets are silky smooth. Their 300-thread count also ensures the bedsheets strike a balance between smoothness and durability. Importantly, their hypoallergenic properties make the sheet perfect for seniors with eczema.
The Organic Sateen Sheet Set helps alleviate eczema flare-ups by reducing triggers of itchiness. The sateen-weaved sheets are silky smooth and only get smoother with every wash. Moreover, the use of GOTS-certified cotton ensures the bedsheets are hypoallergenic and devoid of any irritants, which, in turn, negates incidents of eczema flare-ups.
Nolah Bamboo Sheet Set
- Satin-smooth bamboo sheets that feel ultra-soft against your skin
- Breathable
- Moisture-wicking
- Temperature regulating
- Antibacterial and hypoallergenic
The Nolah Bamboo Sheet Set has been specially designed to create the perfect sleeping conditions for seniors. For starters, the bed sheets are made using ultra-smooth bamboo fabric.
So, you benefit from bamboo’s naturally antimicrobial and hypoallergenic properties. Additionally, Nolah has manufactured the bedsheets to have moisture-wicking properties and regulate your core temperature as you sleep.
These features and properties combine to ease eczema flare-up by creating ideal sleeping conditions. The Nolah Bamboo Sheet Set help to create a cool, sweat-free, and silk-smooth sleeping environment while keeping allergens at bay.
Layla Bamboo Sheets
- Made of 100% bamboo viscose,
- Thermal regulating
- Super breathable
- Moisture-wicking
- Silky smooth
The bamboo Layla Bamboo Sheets are significantly softer than the vast majority of premium cotton sheets.
As such, they are perfect for eczematous skin that is prone to irritation induced by rough sheets. These environmentally friendly bedsheets will give you a luxurious sleeping experience throughout the night.
Silky-smooth and luxurious, the Layla Bamboo Sheets offer an exotic sleeping experience perfect for anyone looking to reduce the itch of eczema while sleeping. These bedsheets negate flare-ups by reducing friction between the beddings and your skin.
Additionally, the bedsheets exhibit bamboo’s renowned thermal regulation and moisture-wicking properties. Consequently, the bedsheets negate flare-ups induced by sweating and overheating.
Brooklinen Luxe Core Sheet Set
- Made of 100% long-staple cotton
- 480 thread count
- OEKO-TEX® certified as chemical safe and free of over 350 harmful chemicals
- Buttery smooth feel
With a buttery smooth feel and luxuriously soft, the Luxe Core Sheet Set is a good choice for seniors looking for bed sheets that protect their skin as they sleep. The sheets are made of 95% long-staple cotton and 5% Himalayan cashmere.
All Luxe Core Sheet Sets are tested and certified tested to be free of over 350 harmful substances known to induce eczema flares. As such, if you’re particularly sensitive to chemicals, this is the bed sheet set to purchase.
RELATED: Best Blankets for Eczema
Conclusion
While there are numerous ways to combat itchiness and control your eczema, your choice of bedsheets will help you a lot.
A temperature-regulating bedsheet that is smooth and soft to the touch produces little to no friction and wicks away sweat will improve your odds of having a restful, good night’s sleep.
The bedsheets we covered above are ideally suited for anyone with eczema.
