If you don't think it's important to assess for sleep disorders in your patients with atopic dermatitis (AD), think again.
According to Sabra M. Abbott, MD, PhD, professor of neurology at Northwestern University, Chicago, AD is associated with difficulty falling asleep, nighttime awakenings, early morning awakenings, increased daytime sleepiness, decreased sleep efficiency, increased arousals, awakenings, and sleep fragmentation, as well as increased night kicks and nocturnal leg cramps, and a more than twofold increased risk for insomnia.
During the Revolutionizing Atopic Dermatitis symposium, she offered key questions to ask AD patients who present with sleep complaints:
When do you go to bed? "This does not refer to when you get into bed, but when do you actually go to bed with an intention to go to sleep, outside of watching television or answering emails?" Abbott said.
How long does it take for you to fall asleep? Do you wake up in the middle of the night, and for how long? What do you do if you wake up?
When do you wake up in the morning? Is it on your own, or with an alarm clock?
Does this schedule change on nonworkdays? Do you have daytime impairment?Meaning, do your sleep complaints impact how you function during the daytime?
