Sleep routines
Itchy bites before bed: the NHS steps for an insect bite or sting, and a calmer night
The NHS says wash, cool a swollen bite for 20 minutes and do not scratch. Its steps for bites and stings, with our own evening order marked as ours.
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In this guide
Insect bites are not usually serious and get better in a few days, but an itchy one at bedtime is a good way to lose an hour of sleep. The NHS page on insect bites and stings, read on 6 November 2026, is practical and short. The page says it was last reviewed on 1 June 2023 and was due for review on 1 June 2026, so it is past that date; check for a newer version if it matters. It does not mention sleep, so the evening order below is our reading of it. Lumuwala and Calm Eden are under common ownership. This is not medical advice.
What the NHS says
| Question | The page says |
|---|---|
| What does it look like? | Pain where you were bitten or stung and a small swollen lump, which may look red (harder to see on black or brown skin, but you can feel it). |
| A bee, wasp or hornet sting | Brush or scrape the stinger sideways with a fingernail or the edge of a bank card. Do not use tweezers. Wash with soap and water. |
| A tick | Use fine-tipped tweezers or a tick-removal tool, grasp it as close to the skin as possible, pull slowly upwards without squeezing it, then clean the bite. |
| To ease it | Wash with soap and water. For swelling, an ice pack wrapped in a cloth or a cold wet cloth for at least 20 minutes, and keep the area raised. Painkillers such as paracetamol or ibuprofen if it hurts. Antihistamines or a hydrocortisone cream for itching. |
| Do not | Scratch it, or use home remedies such as bicarbonate of soda. |
| See a pharmacist | If the skin around it feels hot or looks red, it is painful or swollen, or there is pus or fluid. A pharmacist can recommend treatments and give the same antibiotics as a GP if it is infected. |
| See a GP | For a child under 1 year old, or after a tick bite with flu-like symptoms or a round or oval bullseye rash. |
An evening order (our reading)
- Wash first. The page says to wash with soap and water to lower the chance of infection. Do it when you come in, not at bedtime.
- Cool it while you wind down. The 20 minute cold cloth fits an evening where you are already sitting down. Keep the area raised if you can.
- Do not scratch. This is the hard one at night. The page gives the reason, infection, not a method, so we would keep the area covered by loose clothing rather than leave it open to the sheets.
- Ask about itching at the pharmacy. The page names antihistamines and hydrocortisone cream. Which one suits a bedtime is a question for a pharmacist, and the page does not say.
- Check again in the morning. Look at the skin around it: hot, red, painful, swollen or weeping are the signs the page gives for a pharmacist.
When to stop and get help
The NHS says to ask for an urgent GP appointment or call NHS 111 if symptoms get worse or are not improving, if you were stung in your mouth or throat or near your eyes, if you feel dizzy or lightheaded, have tummy pain and are being sick, have a high temperature and swollen glands, were stung more than once, or have had a serious allergic reaction before. It says to call 999 if your lips, mouth, throat or tongue suddenly swell, you are breathing very fast or struggling to breathe, your throat feels tight, your skin, tongue or lips turn blue, grey or pale, you suddenly become very confused, drowsy or dizzy, or someone faints and cannot be woken. NHS 111 and 999 are UK numbers, so find the local emergency numbers before you travel.
Not on the NHS page
It says nothing about sleep, bedroom temperature, bed nets, repellents or how to stop scratching in your sleep. It does not say which antihistamine suits an evening, or how long a bite should take to settle beyond a few days. Our notes on sleeping in mosquito country cover the bedroom side, and the NHS page does not.
The outing side
Many bites happen on an evening outdoors, and outings go better when you are comfortable. An umbrella does nothing about insects. What a light one does is cover you in a sudden shower and in the strong sun on the same trip, and Calm Eden’s guide to portable shade for city walks covers the sun side. Its Haven Umbrella folds to 40 cm / 15.75 in and weighs about 390 g, with an SPF 50+ canopy that blocks 99.99% of UV, and its 30 Day Money Back Guarantee accepts opened or used umbrellas. Every order includes a Haven Cover and the Wellness Journal (digital); Buy 2 Get 1 Free adds the UV Charm and the Rain Poncho, and Buy 3 Get 2 Free also adds the Haven SPF 50+ Silk Square Scarf.
Source: NHS, Insect bites and stings, read 6 November 2026. This is not medical advice; if a bite or sting worries you, see a pharmacist or a doctor.
Common questions
Should I scratch an itchy insect bite?
No. The NHS says not to scratch a bite or sting, because it could get infected.
What does the NHS say eases the swelling and itch?
For swelling, an ice pack wrapped in a cloth, or a clean cloth soaked in cold water, held on the bite for at least 20 minutes, and keeping the area raised if you can. For itching, antihistamines or a hydrocortisone cream. It says not to use antihistamine cream if you had caterpillar hairs on your skin.
Does the NHS recommend bicarbonate of soda?
No. It says not to use home remedies such as bicarbonate of soda to treat a bite or sting.
How do I remove a bee sting?
The NHS says to brush or scrape the stinger sideways with a fingernail or the edge of a bank card, not to use tweezers because that could squeeze more poison out, and then to wash the area with soap and water.
When should I get help urgently?
The NHS says to ask for an urgent GP appointment or call NHS 111 if symptoms get worse or do not improve, if you were stung in the mouth, throat or near the eyes, or more than once, or if you feel dizzy, have tummy pain and are being sick, or have a high temperature and swollen glands. It says to call 999 if lips, mouth, throat or tongue swell suddenly, or you are struggling to breathe.
Sources & editorial notes
Sources and linked product information checked November 6, 2026. This is a researched guide; we did not conduct product trials or assign performance scores.
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