Wrestless Legs Keep You Awake?
September 6th 2011 08:52
What is Restless Leg Syndrome
Ever went to bed tired and looking forward to a peaceful night’s sleep only to find that sleep is far from you due to your legs, or sometimes your complete body, twitching and moving with a will of their own? If you are plagued with this irritating syndrome, you will know it but here are some of the symptoms most people report:
Restless leg syndrome has been described as an irresistible urge to move the legs, aching, prickling, tingling and pulling irritation in the lower legs. The thighs and even your arms, body, neck and shoulders may be affected. This can lead to your spouse complaining over your tossing, kicking and turning and move to another bed, or even other room, to sleep in peace. You may even irritate people around you while watching an, according to you, boring television show or DVD by the irresistible urge to move about in your chair or walking around until the frustrating urge to move is over. These symptoms can occur while you are driving or as a passenger spending some hours on the road.
Is this a new phenomenon?
For many centuries, even today, restless legs syndrome frequently goes unrecognized or misinterpreted by doctors and other physicians. Although there seems to be more written articles and suggested ways to deal with the symptoms, the cause is still not clear yet.
Is it passed on to family members?
Enquiries into families where parents, grandparents, cousins or nephews experience the same symptoms, sometimes reveal interesting facts of different diseases carried down through generations of the same family. Unfortunately this is a life-long syndrome for which there is no cure; as a matter of fact, it may even become worse in aging people. You may even have periods in which symptoms decrease or disappear for days, weeks, or months. Unfortunately, these symptoms usually eventually reappear.
A few diseases known to present RLS (Restless Leg Syndrome) are those where people suffer from cancer, prostatitis, myokymia, diabetes as wel as people who live with neuromuscular diseases.
Is there any treatment?
Here are a few things I find helpful when I’m kept awake by my restless body:
- Don’t take coffee or alcohol shortly before bed time;
- Red Bush tea is always better than other types as it has no caffeine and you can benefit from its natural ingredients;
- Taking supplements such as iron, foliate, calcium and magnesium tablets before going to bed, helps prevent RLS too;
- Take a hot bath and get into bed immediately thereafter;
- massaging your legs or getting up for a glass of hot milk or Rooibos tea while listening to soft music also calms the restlessness as well as the frustration of not being able to fall asleep.
Before taking any medicine suggested by friends or family, always talk to your doctor first. You may even find that different seasons present different occurrences and intensity of RLS. I also find that listening to my body helps me to know when I need more rest, slowing down on my activities and relax my brain too. When you dream about incomplete tasks, your brain not switching off, thoughts go around and around in circles, please pay attention and take these red lights of exhaustion seriously; prevent the burnt out feeling by taking more care of your brain and body.
Ever went to bed tired and looking forward to a peaceful night’s sleep only to find that sleep is far from you due to your legs, or sometimes your complete body, twitching and moving with a will of their own? If you are plagued with this irritating syndrome, you will know it but here are some of the symptoms most people report:
Restless leg syndrome has been described as an irresistible urge to move the legs, aching, prickling, tingling and pulling irritation in the lower legs. The thighs and even your arms, body, neck and shoulders may be affected. This can lead to your spouse complaining over your tossing, kicking and turning and move to another bed, or even other room, to sleep in peace. You may even irritate people around you while watching an, according to you, boring television show or DVD by the irresistible urge to move about in your chair or walking around until the frustrating urge to move is over. These symptoms can occur while you are driving or as a passenger spending some hours on the road.
Is this a new phenomenon?
For many centuries, even today, restless legs syndrome frequently goes unrecognized or misinterpreted by doctors and other physicians. Although there seems to be more written articles and suggested ways to deal with the symptoms, the cause is still not clear yet.
Is it passed on to family members?
Enquiries into families where parents, grandparents, cousins or nephews experience the same symptoms, sometimes reveal interesting facts of different diseases carried down through generations of the same family. Unfortunately this is a life-long syndrome for which there is no cure; as a matter of fact, it may even become worse in aging people. You may even have periods in which symptoms decrease or disappear for days, weeks, or months. Unfortunately, these symptoms usually eventually reappear.
A few diseases known to present RLS (Restless Leg Syndrome) are those where people suffer from cancer, prostatitis, myokymia, diabetes as wel as people who live with neuromuscular diseases.
Is there any treatment?
Here are a few things I find helpful when I’m kept awake by my restless body:
- Don’t take coffee or alcohol shortly before bed time;
- Red Bush tea is always better than other types as it has no caffeine and you can benefit from its natural ingredients;
- Taking supplements such as iron, foliate, calcium and magnesium tablets before going to bed, helps prevent RLS too;
- Take a hot bath and get into bed immediately thereafter;
- massaging your legs or getting up for a glass of hot milk or Rooibos tea while listening to soft music also calms the restlessness as well as the frustration of not being able to fall asleep.
Before taking any medicine suggested by friends or family, always talk to your doctor first. You may even find that different seasons present different occurrences and intensity of RLS. I also find that listening to my body helps me to know when I need more rest, slowing down on my activities and relax my brain too. When you dream about incomplete tasks, your brain not switching off, thoughts go around and around in circles, please pay attention and take these red lights of exhaustion seriously; prevent the burnt out feeling by taking more care of your brain and body.
| 28 |
| Vote |
subscribe to this blog
