Sleeping with restless legs; is it possible?

Restless Legs Syndrome occurs in 2 to 5% of the population. Women suffer from RLS twice as often as men. The syndrome is not age-related, but the average age at which symptoms begin is 27 years. As you get older, RLS can worsen. Sometimes there are periods when the symptoms lessen or disappear. In most cases, however, restless legs syndrome worsens until the symptoms occur almost daily.

The exact cause of RLS is not known. It is suspected that RLS arises from a disturbance in certain nerve cells in the brain. A shortage of dopamine, which is produced by those nerve cells, may play a role. Dopamine transmits signals in the brain from one nerve cell to another.

In some cases, RLS is the result of an illness or has an external cause. This is called secondary RLS. In primary RLS, the cause is unclear.

Possible causes or risk factors for restless legs syndrome are:

• Chronic conditions: such as diabetes, rheumatism, or kidney problems
• Heredity: the occurrence of similar symptoms in family members. In that case, symptoms usually appear at a younger age
• Pregnancy: especially at the end of pregnancy, 15% of women suffer from restless legs
• Anemia: many people with RLS are found to have anemia or a low iron level in the blood
• Varicose veins: clogged veins and varicose veins cause poorer blood flow in the legs, which can lead to RLS
• Certain medicines: such as antidepressants, can worsen or even trigger restless legs symptoms
• Alcohol, caffeine, overweight, and smoking can increase the symptoms

Because RLS symptoms often occur in the evening and at night, they can negatively affect your sleep. It makes it harder to fall asleep and causes you to wake up more often during the night. Poor sleep causes you to wake up tired and feel very weary during the day. This can worsen RLS symptoms during the day. This leads to a downward spiral.

More than 80% of people with RLS also experience PLMD (periodic limb movement disorder). In this syndrome, one makes periodic repeated movements of the legs during sleep. These muscle twitches usually occur every 20 to 30 seconds, during several periods in the night. This results in lighter sleep and, in the worst case, waking up.

It is not easy to treat RLS and PLMD. Especially with primary RLS, when no specific underlying cause is known, finding the right treatment is difficult. Only the symptoms can be treated. When the cause is known, RLS can be cured. The following tips can reduce RLS symptoms.

Pay extra attention to your diet

RLS symptoms can be reduced by paying extra attention to your vitamin intake. Especially with iron or vitamin deficiency, it can help to follow a diet that provides sufficient vitamins and minerals. Additionally, avoiding caffeine-containing products (such as chocolate, coffee, and soft drinks) and alcohol can help. Quitting smoking is also recommended as a possible solution for RLS. This will help balance dopamine production in the brain.

Ensure enough physical activity

By moving regularly and sufficiently, you improve blood circulation. This can reduce restless legs symptoms. Intensive exercise just before sleeping is discouraged because it increases restlessness in the legs. Always allow at least 1 hour between intense exercise and going to bed.

Yes. Weighted blankets can provide significant relief for people with restless legs syndrome, because the deep pressure touch stimulation (DPTS) delivered by the blanket stimulates the release of serotonin and dopamine by our nerve cells. This calms and relaxes both body and mind and relieves symptoms such as leg cramps and muscle cramps.

We hope that after reading this article you know more about restless legs syndrome and what you can do to reduce it. Do you have questions? Please feel free to contact us. We are happy to help you.