Restless Leg Syndrome:
Coping with a Cause of Insomnia
If you are experiencing unpleasant feelings in your legs, and it’s causing you to have trouble sleeping, you might be suffering from restless legs syndrome, or RLS.
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Dan Weinhold, CRTT, from the
Lancaster General Sleep Disorders
Center, assists patients who
experience problems associated
with Restless Leg Syndrome. |
Often, people with RLS have sensations of aching, tingling or burning in the calf when they are sitting or lying down. Some patients, however, have no definite sensation, except for the need to move. Rubbing the leg, standing or walking until the feeling goes away is usually necessary to relieve the discomfort.
This may not seem like a big problem if it happens during the day. But it can lead to restless nights if it crops up frequently while you sleep.
The cause of RLS is still unknown. Some cases may be inherited, while others have been associated with nerve damage in the legs due to diabetes, kidney problems, alcoholism, or a side effect of a pinched nerve root in the lower back.
The irresistible urge or need to move the affected limbs to relieve symptoms, can lead to problems like insomnia, chronic irritability, anxiety and depression.
For severe symptoms, various medications have been utilized. But there are other methods recommended for reducing the symptoms, including:
- stretching or massaging leg muscles before going to sleep
- practicing relaxation methods
- wearing long socks to bed
- using a hot water bottle or cold compresses on the painful area before going to sleep
- taking a hot bath before bedtime
- avoiding or cutting back on caffeine and alcohol
- eating a healthy diet
- exercising regularly, and
- avoiding vigorous exercise and stimulation within two hours of bedtime.
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Betsy Vosnock, RRT, from the Lancaster General
Sleep Disorders Center, helps patients make lifestyle
adjustments to get a more restful night's sleep. |
The Lancaster General Sleep Disorders Center specializes in diagnosing and treating common sleep-related disorders like RLS. The Sleep Disorders Center is accredited by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine and American Sleep Disorder Association, and has two locations, Lancaster General Hospital and Lancaster General Kissel Hill Health Center in Lititz.
For more information, call (717) 544-5910.
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