The most common insect known for biting people while they are sleeping is the bed bug. If you wake up with multiple bites that are painless at first but become itchy welts over time, especially around your armpits, neck, behind your knee, or on your inner thighs, then you might be dealing with a bed bug infestation.
Bug Bites While Sleeping
There are three likely sources for bug bites at night — spiders, mosquitos or bed bugs. Spiders and mosquitos usually find their way into your home — and into your bedroom — during the warmer months. “Honestly, many mosquito and spider bites look similar.
Household products: Soaps, detergents, makeup, hair products and clothing can cause skin reactions. Pay attention to where the “bug bites” occur. If you try out a new soap and then develop bumps, the culprit might be the new soap. A dermatologist can confirm that your skin rash is from household products.
Mosquito bites are generally distributed in a random manner over parts of the body that are not protected by clothing (legs, face, back neck, etc.). Bed bug bites are more clustered and often occur in a distinct bite pattern that can be described as being multiple and arranged in a linear or circular fashion.
These bites may be from small biting midges, often called “no-see-ums”. They are also known as punkies or sand flies.
Looking for Signs of Bed Bugs
Rusty or reddish stains on bed sheets or mattresses caused by bed bugs being crushed. Dark spots (about this size: ), which are bed bug excrement and may bleed on the fabric like a marker would.
Several skin conditions can cause itchy lumps that resemble bug bites. These include allergic reactions, infections, and chronic conditions. Most people experience this symptom at some point. Itchy bumps can appear as a result of allergies, infections, insects, and, sometimes, nonidentified factors.
The main insects that may be biting you as you sleep are bed bugs, mosquitos, fleas, gnats and midges. If you would like to know which of these insects are biting you as you sleep, you'll need to look at the type of bite you have.
When bedbugs bite, you often see clusters of bites. Each cluster usually contains 3 to 5 bites that appear in a zigzag pattern. You'll seldom see bed bugs, so many people mistakenly believe that mosquitoes, fleas, or spiders bit them.
You may be able to tell you have dust mites in the home, by a continual round of some of the following allergic symptoms: Itchy nose. Stuffy or runny nose. Facial pain due to sinus pressure.
Dust mites are the most common household allergen. Dust mites do not bite you. You cannot see or feel dust mites.
For some, bed bug bites cause no reaction; however, others experience itchy red spots and symptoms of an allergic reaction. If you suspect your bites are from bed bugs but haven't noticed the signs of an infestation, it's possible that they snuck in under your nose.
Mosquitoes rest in dark, humid places like under sinks, in showers, in closets, under furniture, or in the laundry room.
Hives are slightly raised, red patches of skin called wheals (or welts). They occur in groups on any part of the body, and can look like mosquito bites. They are often itchy, but sometimes also sting. The medical word for hives is urticaria (er-tuh-care-ia).
Bed bug bites occur most commonly on exposed skin, such as the upper body, neck, arms and shoulders.
Most people do not realize they have been bitten until bite marks appear anywhere from one to several days after the initial bite. The bite marks are similar to that of a mosquito or a flea — a slightly swollen and red area that may itch and be irritating. The bite marks may be random or appear in a straight line.