If you have restless legs syndrome, or RLS, it can disrupt your sleep, leading to sleep deprivation. Fortunately, there are ways to help relieve restless legs syndrome. Managing the condition effectively requires two steps—you want to minimize the factors that trigger the condition and incorporate habits into your routine that help limit symptoms.
The Facts About Restless Legs Syndrome
Restless legs syndrome, more formally called Willis-Ekbom Disease, is a condition affecting the nervous system that causes uncomfortable sensations in the legs, along with an overwhelming need to move the legs.
While these sensations can occur at any time of day, they typically happen when a person is at rest, which is more common in the evening hours. Jittery legs and other symptoms of RLS can also occur at other times when a person isn’t moving around for a long period of time, such as on a plane ride. Because the condition most often presents itself at night, it disrupts sleep for many who have it, which is why it’s categorized as a sleep disorder.
If you’re experiencing restless legs syndrome, you will have unusual sensations in your legs people often describe as throbbing, pulling, itching, crawling or creeping.
When these feelings occur as a person tries to fall asleep or during sleep, it can disrupt normal sleep cycles and lead to sleep deprivation. Along with these symptoms, those with RLS may also experience fatigue and daytime sleepiness.
Many people who have restless legs syndrome also have a condition called periodic limb movement disorder, which causes the limbs to flex or twitch repeatedly while a person is asleep. Unlike the sensations that occur due to RLS, these are movements that aren’t uncomfortable—and in many cases, because they occur during sleep, the person having them is unaware.
While the underlying cause of RLS is unclear, it is associated with other medical conditions, including Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis and the later stages of kidney disease. It’s also common during the third trimester of pregnancy and typically disappears after a woman gives birth.
If your doctor believes you may have restless legs syndrome, he or she will ask you a series of questions related to the sensations you’re having in your legs. You may be asked to keep a sleep diary noting when you experience restless legs.
Sleep studies aren’t used as a tool to diagnose RLS, but one may be used to rule out other sleep disorders. Your doctor may also order tests to rule out other potential causes of restless legs, including an iron deficiency.
Triggers for Restless Legs Syndrome
If you’re diagnosed with RLS, your doctor will likely suggest a treatment plan that includes multiple recommendations to help manage the condition, including medication or specialized therapies. But there are also some steps you can take to help limit RLS symptoms.
While the most consistent trigger of restless legs syndrome is resting, which you can’t avoid, there are three other significant triggers that can make symptoms worse.
Alcohol, caffeine and nicotine are all known to trigger the sensations associated with RLS. Caffeine is associated with jitteriness when consumed in large quantities. Alcohol and nicotine can have similar effects.
Their impact is magnified when taken in excessive amounts, since they can also be disruptive to the sleep cycle. Limiting your intake of these known stimulants can help minimize restless legs syndrome symptoms.
Certain medications, including over-the-counter options to treat colds and allergies, can also trigger restless legs.
Ways to Manage Restless Legs Syndrome
If you’re diagnosed with RLS, a combination of therapies and treatments may include medication and specialized therapy that involves the external stimulation of the legs using either a foot wrap or a vibrating pad.
The jittery leg sensations associated with restless legs syndrome tend to diminish when the legs are moved or massaged. That’s the theory behind external stimulation devices, which are a more recent treatment innovation. The two devices currently approved by the FDA work in different ways—the foot wrap uses targeted pressure, while the vibrating pad stimulates the body as a form of “counter stimulation” to cover up or mask RLS symptoms.
Medication is the most common form of treatment for RLS, and there are several types of medication that can be effective. These include dopamine agonists, which increase the effects of a neurotransmitter known as dopamine in the body and can help stop uncontrollable movements; anti-seizure medications, which can help limit pain associated with RLS; and benzodiazepines, which are sometimes used to help obtain a more restful sleep.
In addition to these treatment options, limiting known triggers is also a way of managing the condition. Beyond the triggers listed above, there are several other factors that can lead to an increase in RLS symptoms. Limiting those factors is key to minimizing symptoms.
Stress, a sedentary lifestyle and obesity are all factors—so a treatment plan will likely include the recommendation to implement healthy lifestyle habits. Moderate aerobics and leg stretches can help relieve mild RLS symptoms. Strenuous exercise, however, can make symptoms worse, especially close to bedtime. Avoid exercising until your joints and muscles ache.
RLS is also tied to an iron deficiency in some cases. If an iron deficiency is present, supplementation may be recommended. Magnesium, zinc and vitamin D supplements may also be recommended in some cases.
There are other steps you can take to limit the effects of restless legs syndrome. Implementing good sleep hygiene habits, getting regular massages, and applying heat or cold to the legs may also help minimize RLS symptoms and make the condition more manageable.
