My husband and I both wake up itching at night, and we have tiny little bites all over. I wash the sheets once or twice a week (in fragrance- and dye-free detergent in case it's allergies), and we can't find any sign of bugs in the bed. What could this be?
If you have ruled out allergies it could possibly be bed bugs, they are very tiny bugs that get into almost anything, they feed off of human blood and other animals that they can get to they are only 4 to 5 mm if they are adults so you would have to be looking for them and ive heard they are very hard to get rid of, but if its not that im not sure!
I think bed bugs are larger than dust mites so you would see them. Here is the thing with dust mites - They are TINY and hard to see. When you wash your linens also wash your PILLOWS. Not just the pillowcase but the actual pillows. Dust mites feed off dead skin cells and can linger in the mattress or pillow. When the bed is stripped vacuum the mattress. Move the bed and vacuum all around. You may have to do this a couple times as the first pass you may disturb some of them. Wash everything you can in HOT water and add a bit of bleach if you can. Dust mites hate movement so if you can also air out the bedroom that will help. If you have pets be sure to bathe them as well as the mites can be brought in on their skin.
Bedbugs. A friend of mine just had this problem, and even though you don't see them, I'm betting that you do have them. They live in the mattress, which is why washing your sheets alone isn't helping. If you can't afford to go buy a new mattress, I would suggest going to the drug store and buying a lice kit. I know, I know, it sounds digusting and gross, but the stuff that's in the spray for the furniture is the same stuff that kills bedbugs. Also, make sure you vacuum the mattress and surrounding area at least once a week, and wash and dry your linens on the hottest temp you can. This will kill live bugs and their eggs. And, please, do not think this is something to be ashamed of, it's only a nuisance. To treat the bites, use the over the counter hydrocortisone cream that treats rashes. This will help the itching and swelling. If the bites are severe, go to your doctor for a perscription strength cream. Hope this helps.
Bed bugs. You say you take care of the bed linen but, you didn't mention doing anything for your mattresses.
Bed bugs infest only a small proportion of residences, but they should be suspected if residents complain of bites that occurred while sleeping. The bedroom and other sleeping areas should be carefully examined for bed bugs and signs of bed bug activity. Folds and creases in the bed linens, and seams and tufts of mattresses and box springs, in particular, may harbor bed bugs or their eggs. They may also be found within pleats of curtains, beneath loose areas of wallpaper near the bed, in corners of desks and dressers, within spaces of wicker furniture, behind cove molding, and in laundry or other items on the floor or around the room. Sometimes, characteristic dark brown or reddish fecal spots of bed bugs are apparent on the bed linens, mattress or walls near the bed. A peculiar coriander-like odor may be detected in some heavily infested residences. Adhesive-based traps used for sampling insects or rodents are not particularly effective for trapping bed bugs. i am not sure what else it could be, i've included the link for you. They are hard to get rid of!
