Sleep disorders in dermatology – a comprehensive review

Abstract

SummarySleep is a normal physiological process that accounts for approximately one third of a person's life. Disruption of the normal sleep cycle, which maintains physiological homeostasis, can lead to pathology. It is not known whether sleep disturbance causes skin disease or skin disease causes sleep impairment, but a bidirectional influence is suspected. We have compiled the data from published articles on “sleep disorders in dermatology” in PubMed Central from July 2010 to July 2022 (with the option “full text available”) and provide an overview of sleep disorders associated with dermatological conditions and certain drugs used in dermatology as well as sleep disturbances for which some drugs used can cause itch or dermatological issues. Atopic dermatitis, eczema and psoriasis have been shown to be exacerbated by sleep problems and vice versa. Sleep deprivation, night‐time pruritus and disrupted sleep cycles are often used to assess treatment response and quality of life in these conditions. Some medications used primarily for dermatological conditions have also been associated with alterations in the sleep‐wake cycle. Addressing patients sleep disorders should be an integral part of the management of dermatological conditions. More studies are needed to further investigate the influence of sleep and skin disorders.