Itchy eyes and nose at bedtime

[user1473878824]

My DSS (10) is absolutely fine until just before bedtime when he says his eyes and nose itch. This does seem to coincide with him being told not to pick his nose and his eyes aren’t red or sore looking though he rubs at them but this seems more like a habit he does through the day. As soon as he’s told not to he says his eyes are SO itchy and painful and then rubs until red.

I really can’t decide if this is bedtimeitis or a thing! I give him half an antihistamine but is there something that could be causing itchy eyes and nose but only ever around 8.30 and all year round

He could have an allergy to something in the room. Or there could be dust mites in his carpet. Or an allergy to some product in the bathroom if he uses it just before bed. Or it's because he's had screen time and that dries out the yes (not sure about the nose though!)

I would totally think allergies but he’s fine all day, all weekends, and I think weekend evenings. I would completely put it down to bedtime and school the next day but he happily put himself to bed early because he was tired tonight. I can’t work it out. I know it sounds so minor (and it is!) but if it is something, he’s uncomfortable and I can’t fix it - but also don’t want to give him medicines if he doesn’t need it and can’t work out how to fix it if it’s nothing when it isn’t even a staying up later technique 😱
I will ask his mum if it happens at hers but I can’t work out what suddenly happens!! I have hay fever but it tends to calm down in the evenings...

And I would agree about screen time which I’d chuck out the window totally if it was practical. But again, he’s fine on weekends etc!

Hay fever can be worse at night because you've got accumulated pollen in your hair and on your clothes.

Also, it's more itchy when your eyes get dry, so being tired and looking at screens can aggravate it.

But why only weeknights! Why when hay fever isn’t about! Thank you for that @pouncer that’s really interesting and will see if that makes a difference. I do think part of it is rubbing his eye and then because he’s rubbed it he rubs it more etc etc - it would be far easier if it was a staying up late distraction technique! He’s asleep by the time an antihistamine would work so can’t tell if they are!

Also thank you both for any advice that gets me closer to throwing the sodding Switch out the window.

If it is something that needs an antihistamine, he really needs it built up in his system for it to work. You have to take it before you get the symptoms or it's really hard to manage. It sounds an awful lot like hay fever to me. There was a big spike of it last night, which I felt. I had to run to take my contact lenses out because my eyes were burning suddenly.

Oh god poor you! Bloody summer.

Have you got a pet? My pet dander allergy gets far worse at night. I now have hay fever, and could have had it then, but daytime symptoms didn't develop until adulthood. Not sure of the reasoning behind it, but allergies can definitely get worse at night.

Also worth looking at treatments that go to the source of the problem, a nasal spray and eye drops. Put the eye drops in before he starts rubbing them, they can be very painful once you do!

Sounds like hayfever,I always get it in the evening and it comes on right out of nowhere. Try some anti histamine eye drops and see if it helps. Also damp dust his room and hoover his mattress etc.

When do you clean? If you hoover and dust on Saturday mornings then the pollen/dust mites won't be so bad for 48 hours which might explain why it's school nights when it happens.