Insomnia From Leg Cramps And Rls

Insomnia From Leg Cramps And Rls

There are chronic muscular, neurological, and psychological conditions that contribute to insomnia. One is Restless Legs Syndrome, another is a sudden panic reaction caused by “missing a step”, the sensation of the foot hitting nothing as you fall and happens upon entering sleep. In the case of the latter the jolt of panic causes hyperventilation and a secretion of adrenalin that will keep a person awake for another hour or two.

Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS) is a medically recognized specific chronic condition common to groups with both genetic and/or acquired factors resulting in the urge to move the limbs around, usually the legs. Sufferers are generally in the over 40 age range but young people can be affected also, and were misdiagnosed in the past. The phenomenon was simply labeled “growing pains” and it was thought that the child would grow out of it. All sorts of hyperactivity can account for young people being awake.

Other leg cramps occur when a person begins to exercise after being out of shape, when there’s fatigue and dehydration, when medications interfere with the immune system, and when circulatory problems are present. Nerves fire out of control in a chain-reaction within the muscles, which then tighten up with less oxygen carried by the blood. Swimmers in cold water will attest to the possibility of binding cramps getting them in trouble; it’s impossible to put weight on it while in the water and it paralyzes the leg, possibly both legs.

When a sleeping person gets awakened by leg cramps, jumping up to place weight on the leg will sometimes settle the calf muscles down to ease the pain. They can tie up the muscle area around the shins where standing with weight on the leg won’t help. In that case, a hot bath and massaging the knots out of the muscles is the best first aid. The cramps can start all over as soon as you move the wrong way in bed trying to return to sleep. The aftermath of the pain and the furtive attempts to get rid of it guarantees several hours of lost sleep.

Doctors may experiment with different medications to treat chronic conditions like RLS but those may conflict with other medications and no one pharmaceutical product is used to treat insomnia with all patients. Psychological conditions causing sleep loss are particularly medicated on a case-by-case basis. Anxiety, stress, schizophrenia, mania, and depression can all lead to long periods of insomnia that are damaging to the patient. When insomnia goes beyond three weeks, it is defined medically as chronic, as opposed to someone having a few days of bad sleep due to jet lag or a short stay in an uncomfortable place such as a hospital.

Many cases of cramping have vitamins and minerals that can be used, in particular potassium, iron, and a patented supplement that contains all-natural ingredients and is branded as “All Calm” which relieves leg cramps in general and RLS in particular.

Chronic pain, fatigue, night time angina, acid reflux disease, asthma, obstructive sleep apnea, and a wide range of serious conditions will produce insomnia as a side effect, but lower leg muscle difficulty is bound to cause restless nights, and the condition seems to be alleviated universally by the All Calm supplement and so would be the logical place to start when searching for a remedy. Like all treatments it’s wise to get a doctor’s advice and read the instructions regarding method of use.

By: Pat Boardman

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