Sleep disturbance in psoriasis

Summary

Psoriasis is a common skin disease that affects 4‐5% of people worldwide. Psoriasis can be recognized by red, scaly areas on the skin, most often on the elbows, knees, scalp, and lower back. Given these physical symptoms, one could suspect that people with psoriasis may have difficulty sleeping. This study from Copenhagen, Denmark aimed to examine sleep disturbance in psoriasis. The study included 179 patients with psoriasis and 105 people without psoriasis, who all completed questionnaires on sleep quality. Twenty‐five per cent of the patients with psoriasis had difficulty sleeping and over half of them could be classified as poor sleepers. These numbers were much higher than what was what found in the people without psoriasis. Also, the authors found out that itchy skin was the main explanation for the reduced sleep quality in patients with psoriasis.

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