There are a lot of life’s simple pleasures that we take for granted that suddenly become difficult when dealing with hives. Sleeping is one of them. In fact, for those that wake up in the middle of the night itching with hives, sleeping the rest of the night becomes almost impossible without some sort of relief. There are a couple of reasons that a hives condition may become worse at night or suddenly appear at night.

 

Keeping A Written Record May Help You Find The Reason

 

If you’re not sure what is causing your nighttime hives, sleeping can be further impaired by anxiety. It is important to try to figure out the cause. One way is to keep a journal of all your activities from late afternoon until bedtime. Also write down anything you notice at the time you wake up with hives. Sleeping position, room temperature, what you are wearing, any pet that may be in the bed, etc. All of these things may start to show a pattern you can recognize over time.

 

What Are Some Of The Things That May Cause Hives At Night?

 

Some things that may be causing your nighttime hives include some of these factors:

  • Something you ate just prior to bed or even for dinner
  • Stress caused by something that is happening at night or at work
  • The kind of pajama or bed linen fabric you are in contact with
  • Something in the air you are breathing can cause hives. Sleeping with a pet is a common factor

 

Pressure Urticaria May Be A Culprit

 

The medical term for hives is urticaria. One type of hives, or urticaria, is known as pressure hives. This is the result of pressure over a prolonged period on the same area. This prolonged pressure will, after some delay cause hives. Sleeping with an elastic waistband pajama bottom could cause this type of hives. Even the pressure of your body against the mattress could cause this pressure urticaria to appear.

There are a few things you might try at home to get some relief from the hives. Sleeping through the night is important to your healt so until you find the cause, you might try one of these to find some relief:

  • Drink a lot of water all day to help your body flush out anything that may be causing a reaction. Try to do it earlier in the day so you aren’t waking up all night to go to the bathroom.
  • If you wake up with hives, sleeping with a cool compress against the area may help the inflammation to go down and sooth the itching

 

Try a cool bath before bed. You might even add some ground oatmeal to the water. Be careful not to make the water too hot, as heat can aggravate hives and make matters worse.