Disease severity, scratching, and sleep quality in patients with atopic dermatitis

BackgroundThe relationship between sleep quality and disease severity in patients with atopic dermatitis has not been clearly defined.MethodsSleep efficiency and scratching were measured over 2 nights by polysomnography, actigraphy, and self-report in 20 adults with atopic dermatitis. Tumor necrosis factor, interleukin (IL)-6, and IL-10 were assayed from a subset of 9 participants.ResultsSleep measured by actigraphy and polysomnography were strongly associated with each other. Decreased sleep efficiency was associated with increasing disease severity, scratching, and IL-6. Self-reported sleep quality and quality of life were not significantly correlated with either objective sleep measure.LimitationsResults in this pilot study await confirmation in a larger investigation.ConclusionObjective measures but not self-report documented that increasing severity of atopic dermatitis results in more scratching and declining sleep quality. Our data also suggest an important relationship between sleep and IL-6.