Sleeping with a sunburn comes down to reducing skin temperature, minimizing contact with bedding, and managing pain before you get into bed. A little preparation in the hour before sleep can make the difference between a miserable night of tossing and a few solid hours of rest.
Start With a Cool Shower or Bath
A cool (not cold) shower or bath about 30 to 60 minutes before bed helps tame the inflammation that builds around sunburned skin. You don’t need ice-cold water. Cool tap water is enough to pull heat out of the skin and bring temporary relief. Keep it brief, around 10 to 15 minutes, and pat yourself dry gently with a soft towel rather than rubbing.
Avoid applying ice directly to sunburned skin. It feels like it should help, but ice can damage skin that’s already compromised by UV exposure.
Apply Moisturizer While Skin Is Still Damp
Right after your shower, while your skin is still slightly damp, apply a moisturizer containing aloe vera or soy. These ingredients help soothe inflammation and lock in the moisture your skin is actively losing. Choose a product that’s fragrance-free and dye-free, since added scents and colorants can irritate burned skin further.
If you have a topical pain-relieving spray or gel containing lidocaine, you can apply it to the worst areas for short-term numbness. Use it sparingly and follow the package directions. These products wear off after a couple of hours, so they’re best used right at bedtime to help you fall asleep rather than as all-night relief. Don’t layer them under tight clothing or heavy blankets, which can increase absorption beyond what’s intended.
Take a Pain Reliever Before Bed
Ibuprofen is your best option because it reduces both pain and inflammation, tackling two problems at once. Take it as early as possible after getting burned, but definitely take a dose about 30 minutes before you plan to sleep. Acetaminophen works for pain but won’t address the inflammatory response driving much of your discomfort. Follow the dosage on the package and don’t combine the two without checking that it’s safe for you.
Sunburn inflammation tends to peak between 12 and 24 hours after exposure, so your first night is often the worst. If you burned in the afternoon, expect the peak discomfort to hit right around bedtime or in the middle of the night.
Choose the Right Sleeping Position
Your goal is to keep burned skin off the mattress. That sounds simple, but it takes some creativity depending on where you burned.
- Burned back or shoulders: Sleep on your stomach or side. If you’re on your stomach, place a pillow under your hips and lower abdomen to reduce strain on your lower back. A thin pillow (or none) under your head keeps your neck from craning.
- Burned chest or stomach: Sleep on your back with a pillow under your knees to keep pressure off your torso. This position also lets air circulate across your chest.
- Burned on both sides: Back sleeping with a pillow under your knees is usually the least painful option, since only your shoulder blades and lower back contact the mattress. Drape a cool, damp towel over the worst spots if you need extra relief.
- Burned legs: Elevate them slightly with a pillow underneath. This reduces swelling and keeps sheets from pressing against your shins or thighs.
If you normally sleep on your side, place a pillow between your knees. This keeps your hips aligned and prevents your legs from pressing burned skin together.
Rethink Your Bedding
Your sheets matter more than usual. Sunburned skin is hypersensitive to friction and heat, so heavy or clingy fabrics will wake you up repeatedly. Cotton percale sheets are ideal because the loose, plain weave is lightweight and lets air circulate freely. Linen works well too. Bamboo rayon sheets are another breathable option.
Avoid sateen or flannel sheets. Sateen has a tighter weave that traps heat, and flannel is far too warm. If you only have one set of sheets, a clean cotton T-shirt fabric (like a flat cotton bedsheet) draped loosely over your sleeping surface works in a pinch.
Skip heavy comforters entirely. A single light sheet is enough. If you tend to get cold at night, keep a thin blanket at the foot of the bed that you can pull up later rather than starting under layers that overheat your skin.
Lower the Room Temperature
Your body is already radiating extra heat from inflamed skin, so a room that normally feels comfortable may feel stifling. Drop your thermostat a few degrees below your usual sleeping temperature. If you don’t have air conditioning, a fan pointed toward your bed creates airflow across burned skin, which provides a mild cooling effect and helps evaporate any residual moisture from topical products.
Wear as little as possible to bed. If you need to wear something, choose loose-fitting clothing made from natural fibers like cotton or bamboo. Tight elastic waistbands, bra straps, or anything that presses against a burn line will keep you awake.
Drink Extra Water Before and During the Night
Sunburn draws fluid to the skin’s surface as part of the inflammatory response, which can leave you mildly dehydrated. Dehydration makes it harder to fall asleep and stay asleep. Drink extra water in the hours before bed and keep a glass on your nightstand. Signs that you’re getting dehydrated include fatigue, reduced saliva, and darker or less frequent urination.
You don’t need to force enormous quantities. Just drink steadily through the evening and take a few sips if you wake up during the night.
What the Next Few Nights Look Like
The first night is almost always the hardest. Inflammation and pain typically begin to ease by the second or third day. You may start peeling around day three to five, which brings its own discomfort: itching. Continue moisturizing generously, and resist the urge to peel flaking skin, which can expose raw layers underneath and restart the cycle of pain at night.
If your sunburn includes blisters, leave them intact. They’re protecting new skin underneath. Cover blistered areas loosely with a non-stick bandage before bed to prevent sheets from catching on them.
Signs That Need Medical Attention
Most sunburns, even painful ones, heal on their own. But some cross into territory that home care can’t handle. According to Harvard Health, you should see a doctor if your sunburn includes blisters along with any of these symptoms: bright red or oozing skin, severe pain that isn’t responding to over-the-counter medication, fever, shivering or feeling extremely cold, headache, or nausea and vomiting. These can indicate sun poisoning, which is a more serious inflammatory reaction that sometimes requires medical treatment.