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Review
. 2016 Mar 22;17(3):425.
doi: 10.3390/ijms17030425.

Nocturnal Pruritus: The Battle for a Peaceful Night's Sleep

Affiliations
Review

Nocturnal Pruritus: The Battle for a Peaceful Night's Sleep

Michael Joseph Lavery et al. Int J Mol Sci. .

Abstract

Chronic pruritus is a debilitating condition with numerous etiologies. Many patients suffer from nocturnal pruritus, which can decrease quality of life and affect mortality in hemodialysis patients. Nocturnal pruritus may occur in all sleep stages but is most prevalent in stages N1 and N2. Further research is needed to elucidate the pathophysiology of nocturnal itch, which will aid in the development of tailored management strategies.

Keywords: atopic dermatitis; circadian rhythm; physiology; pruritus; sleep; sleep cycle.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Hypnogram of normal sleep.

References

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