The possible relationships between sensory hypersensitivity, sleep quality and disease severity in pediatric atopic dermatitis (AD) were investigated. The trial population comprised 57 AD patients and 37 healthy controls aged 3-10 years. The assessments included the Severity Scoring of Atopic Dermatitis (SCORAD) index, Short Sensory Profile (SSP) and Children's Sleep Habits Questionnaire (CSHQ). The AD group had significantly worse sleep quality than the controls (p<0.05); this was evident in terms of sleep duration, parasomnias, sleep-disordered breathing and daytime alertness. Sensory hypersensitivity showed a trend towards a lower sleep quality (p=0.07) and the SCORAD index positively correlated with sleep anxiety (r=0.556; p=0.049) and parasomnias (r=0.56; p=0.037). Hyperarousability may underlie both sensory hypersensitivity and disturbed sleep patterns in ...