Sleeping with sunburn can be uncomfortable, painful or completely impossible. With sore skin and a raised temperature, drifting off often seems out of reach, but the experts at bamboo bedding and mattress brand Panda London have shared their tips on how to get a good night's sleep despite sunburnt skin.

Medical expert Dr Seeta Shah prep your skin before getting into bed: “One of the best things you can do to set yourself up for success is to prep your skin before getting into bed. Start by having a cool shower or bath as this helps to relieve the inflammation associated with sunburn. Once dry make sure to apply some aloe vera or after sun to the affected area. If the sunburn is causing you lots of pain, take some over-the-counter medication to help reduce the pain felt from the irritated skin.

You should also be hydrated before you go to bed as this can help to heal the skin whilst you sleep. Be sure to up your water intake and consider drinking a herbal tea or sucking on an ice pop to really increase your hydration.”

Tamir Teitelbaum, Founder of Panda London shares how to prep your bed to be less irritating on your skin: “Making sure your bed is a comfortable and irritant free space is essential for sleeping with sunburnt skin. Having bedding that is smooth and breathable will help, with bamboo bedding a great choice as it is naturally gentle on the skin and helps with temperature regulation.

It’s also important to ensure that your room is a good temperature for sleep, opening windows to let fresh, cool air in or using a fan to help cool the room down are all going to help to cool down your sunburnt skin, making it easier to sleep.”

Bethany Lawrence, orthopaedic expert at Panda London explains how to change your sleeping position when suffering from sunburn: “Depending on where your sunburn is, you might find different sleeping positions more comfortable. For example, if you’ve burned your back, you might find it easier to drift off by lying on your stomach or side, but if this isn’t your usual sleeping position you may struggle to drift off.

If that’s the case, try using extra pillows or cushions to keep you in position and elevate certain body parts to help reduce pressure, this will also improve your circulation and provides more comfort so you can heal as you snooze. Opting for pillows with thermoregulation will also have the added benefit of keeping you cool at night. However, if you are really struggling to sleep or your sunburn doesn’t improve, it is worth speaking to a healthcare professional for further advice.”