10 Ways to Reduce Symptoms of Restless Legs Syndrome
Restless Legs Syndrome afflicts up to 10% of America’s population. It’s a neurologic disorder that can result in sleep deprivation, anxiety, and even depression. Get-Fit Guy has 10 easy tips for reducing your RLS symptoms so you can get back to sleep.
Lately, I’ve been getting into Bikram yoga. In case you’re not familiar with this style of yoga, allow me to explain: it involves about 90 minutes of intense sweating in a room at about 100-110o as you move your body through a series of exercises. Perhaps I’m not used to that amount of fluid and electrolyte loss, or perhaps I’m simply using new muscles I haven’t used before, but last night, several hours after a particularly rigorous Bikram session, I abruptly woke to horrible cramps in both my hamstrings and calves.
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For what seemed like forever, I writhed in discomfort and clenched my teeth as I tried to relax and massage away the cramps on both legs. Finally, I alleviated the cramps, got out of bed, and drank an enormous glass of water and sea salt. The next morning, I was still sore from the spasms.
Believe it or not, some people (perhaps even you!) deal with these types of frustrating and extremely uncomfortable cramps, spasms, and twitches nearly every night. They are often seized by an uncontrollable urge to move their legs, their legs actually twitch or jerk, and they experience the sensation of something squirming or wiggling under their skin. This is called Restless Legs Syndrome, RLS, and it can result in sleep deprivation, anxiety, and even depression.
So in this episode you’re going to learn my 10 quick and dirty tips to help lessen the symptoms of RLS.
What Is Restless Legs Syndrome?
Restless Legs Syndrome is a neurological disorder that affects as many as 12 million people in America alone! The restless symptoms usually strike when you’re lying in bed at night, but in more serious cases, can also flare up in the daytime, such as when you’re sitting for a long period of time. Often, you experience a feeling of tingling, aching, itching, or tugging deep beneath the skin of your lower legs – and sometimes even in the thighs, feet, hands, and arms too.
Medical research still indicates that this is a condition shrouded in mystery – and it seems to be accompanied by lots of other co-factors, such as heart, lung, and kidney disorders, circulatory problems, arthritis, dietary deficiencies (such as magnesium) or dietary excesses (such as caffeine).
The following 10 Quick and Dirty Tips are designed to help you combat the problem of Restless Legs Syndrome and nighttime (or daytime) leg cramps…..
How to Reduce Your RLS Symptoms
- Move: Easy to moderate exercise can help alleviate restless legs, but excessive exercise with lots of sweating and hard muscle contractions can aggravate symptoms. For example, a morning weight training session or an evening post-dinner brisk walk at a moderate pace can help. If you’re going to do much harder exercise, make sure to finish it several hours before bedtime and follow other tips like hydrating and de-stressing afterward.
- Reduce caffeine consumption: Coffee, tea, energy drinks, chocolate, sodas, and even sports supplements and over-the-counter medications can all contain caffeine. Try cutting these substances out of your diet or substituting decaffeinated varieties – especially after noon. Ideally, you should also avoid smoking and tobacco, which contains the stimulant nicotine, a contributor to RLS.
- Hydrate: Sometimes, RLS can be aggravated by a lack of water. Avoid diuretics such as caffeine and nighttime alcohol intake. Drink liberal amounts of sparkling water, filtered water, or decaffeinated teas throughout the day.
- Try hot-cold contrast therapy: Increased cardiovascular blood flow can help with RLS symptoms. Try a 5-minute shower alternating 20 seconds of cold water followed by 10 seconds of warm water, 2-3 hours before bed. Finish with warm water to relax your nervous system.
- Reduce stress: Daily stress can contribute to headaches, jaw tightness, neck pain, and restless legs. Consider techniques such as breathing, meditation, yoga, and not working too late at night to reduce stress.
- Increase electrolyte intake: Cramping can be caused by a lack of minerals like calcium, magnesium, potassium, and sodium. Use natural sources like trace liquid minerals, Himalayan sea salts, or fruits and vegetables grown in mineral-rich soil. Effervescent electrolyte tablets can be dissolved in water for convenience.
- Apply transdermal magnesium: Magnesium can be absorbed through the skin to help with muscle cramping and restlessness. You can use a topical magnesium lotion or take a magnesium salts soak, similar to an Epsom salts bath. Read more here.
- Stretch: Tight muscles and fascia can cause cramping and restless legs. Try a light morning stretch routine, a few yoga sessions each week, or stretching your feet and calves before bed by putting your feet against the wall and leaning into them with your ankles bent.
- Wear compression socks: Calf-length compression socks can improve symptoms by reducing cramping and making your legs feel less heavy when you wake up. Brands like Under Armour, Skins, and 110% Compression offer these socks.
- Try alternative therapies: Acupuncture and deep tissue massage therapy targeting the lower body, hips, and legs may help relieve RLS symptoms. If massage is not feasible, using a foam roller can also provide relief.
I’m now using all of the strategies listed above after my Bikram yoga to ensure I don’t wake up at night with restless legs! Finally, if you have more questions about how to improve your Restless Leg Syndrome symptoms, then leave your comments, thoughts, and questions over at https://www.Facebook.com/GetFitGuy!
And check out more on QDT’s Restless Legs Syndrome homepage: quickanddirtytips.com/rls
All images courtesy of Shutterstock.
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About the Author
Ben Greenfield received bachelor’s and master’s degrees from University of Idaho in sports science and exercise physiology; personal training and strength and conditioning certifications from the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA); a sports nutrition certification from the International Society of Sports Nutrition (ISSN), an advanced bicycle fitting certification from Serotta. He has over 11 years’ experience in coaching professional, collegiate, and recreational athletes from all sports, and as helped hundreds of clients achieve weight loss and fitness success.
