We ask you to not visit any of our locations if you have symptoms such as fever, sneezing, coughing and possible shortness of breath. When you have a sunburn on your back, the best way to sleep is on your stomach or side. Apply cool water to the sunburned area for 10-15 minutes. Sunburn. The next time you overdo it in the sun, use this list to find the best ways to treat sunburn at home, what not to do, and when to visit the Burn Center. How to sleep The two most common types of sunburn include: In very rare cases, people might get a third-degree sunburn. Policy. In this case you should take freqent naps during the next day, Weighted Blankets for Restless Legs Syndrome. U.S. Food & Drug Administration. Do not use hydrocortisone cream on broken or infected skin, and consult a healthcare professional if you have concerns or if your symptoms do not improve after a few days. Moving a regular bed simply involves lifting and carrying your mattress and boxspring wherever it is convenient. You can also put a cool, damp cloth on the sunburned area. In this article, well delve into a range of tips and strategies designed to help you sleep comfortably with a sunburn. Wolters Kluwer; 2019. This causes the skin to rub, press, and twist on the sheet, causing more pain to the already sensitive, sore, and tender skin. You just want your skin back in one piece as soon as possible so that you can get some much-needed sleep and start healing right away. Using a 1% hydrocortisone cream can help alleviate itching and inflammation caused by sunburn. If lying on your back or having sheets touch your burned skin is painful, you can try sleeping in a different position or using a thin sheet as a barrier between you and the bedding. 2023 Healthline Media LLC. Don't use benzocaine on children younger than age 2 without supervision from a health care provider. Additionally, you need to moisturize the affected area with aloe vera gel to get some relief. Check out these best-sellers and special offers on books and newsletters from Mayo Clinic Press. While some skin cells can be repaired, some die off. Thompson DA. To best serve your individual needs, please choose from the following options: Anyone who has experienced a harsh sunburn has also gone through the hell of trying to sleep with the burning pain. Skin cancers can range from pink scaly spots, to local sores that dont heal, to multi-colored lesions that can metastasize to internal organs. Its also important to stay hydrated when youre sleeping, so keeping a jug of water next to your bed is a great way to make sure you get enough fluids. However, if left untreated, it can get severe and might cause serious damage to your skin. It also boosts collagen production, which expedites the healing process. How to Sleep with a Sunburn - Sleep Number Try to ensure you have a comfortable bed to sleep on, and avoid sleeping on a couch or sleeping on a chair. This will help to prevent blisters from forming and will allow the sunburn to heal better. To establish that the product manufacturers addressed safety and efficacy standards, we: We do the research so you can find trusted products for your health and wellness. How to sleep with sunburn on your shoulders: As people who have experienced sleeping with sunburn on our legs, we can say that its not an easy task. If you have a mild sunburn, sleeping with clothes on shouldnt be a problem, it might be beneficial as it can help prevent your skin from drying out. First-line treatments can include the following: If your pain is severe or symptoms continue for more than eight weeks, your doctor might recommend the following to reduce pain: Surgery to decompress the nerve might be recommended if youre pain is very severe and persistent, but this is rare. Taking medication that makes you more sensitive to UV rays rarely leads to a third-degree sunburn. You may also want to put a pillow under your knees to take some of the pressure off of your sunburned skin. How to Sleep with Sunburn (5 Tricks Exposed) - All About Sleeps Our expert physicians and surgeons provide a full range of dermatologic, reconstructive and aesthetic treatments options at Cleveland Clinic. WebAll three doctors advised me to stay out of the sun, keep myself cool, as heat aggrevates the problem, and keep legs elevated above head level as long as possible. Although it will require intense heat, very long exposure, or firm pressure to receive any further damage after the second-degree burn, its still a good safety precaution to know all of the types of burns so that you can know how to both address and avoid them, especially if you have children in the home.