Restless Legs Syndrome - Symptoms and Causes - Sleep ...

Restless legs syndrome (RLS), also called Willis Ekbom disease causes uncomfortable feelings in the legs, such as itching, prickling, ... Share: Home /Sleep-RelatedMovementDisorders /RestlessLegsSyndrome(RLS) RestlessLegsSyndrome(RLS) Whatitis,itscausesandsymptoms,andhowitcanbeaddressedtoimprovesleep UpdatedOctober2,2020 Writtenby AlexaFry MedicallyReviewedby HeatherWright FactChecked InThisArticle WhatAretheSymptomsofRestlessLegsSyndrome? WhatCausesRestlessLegsSyndrome? HowIsRestlessLegsSyndromeManaged? Restlesslegssyndrome(RLS),alsocalledWillisEkbomdiseasecausesuncomfortablefeelingsinthelegs,suchasitching,prickling,pulling,orcrawling.Thesesensationscreateanoverwhelmingurgetomovethelegs. PeoplewithRLSmaywalk,stretch,orshaketheirlegstoachieverelief.Symptomstendtobeworsewheninactive,includingwhenrelaxingorlyingdown.Asaresult,thesymptomsofRLSoftendisruptsleep. RLSaffects5to10%ofadultsand2to4%ofchildrenintheU.S.anditisfoundinwomenmoreoftenthanmen.PeopleofallagescandevelopRLS,butthemostseveresymptomstendtooccurinolderadults. WhatAretheSymptomsofRestlessLegsSyndrome? ThesensationsassociatedwithRLSaredistinctfromnormalsensationsexperiencedbythosewhodon’thavethedisorder.Thismakesthemdifficulttocharacterize.AccordingtotheInternationalClassificationofSleepDisorders,thewordsandphrasesmostcommonlyusedbyRLSpatientstodescribethefeelingsare: “Twitchy” “Uncomfortable” “Restless” “Needtostretch” “Urgetomove” “Legswanttomoveontheirown” LearnmoreaboutRLSsymptomshere. RestlessLegsSyndromeandInsomnia Thedesiretomoveone’slegsmakesfallingasleepandstayingasleepdifficultformanypeoplewithRLS.Astudyfoundthat88%ofindividualswithRLSreportedatleastonesleep-relatedsymptom.RLSsymptomsoftenappearshortlyafterlayingdownatnightandpatientswillkick,squirm,ormassagetheirlegstolessenthesensation.SomepeoplewithRLSarecompelledtogetoutofbedandpaceorstretch. RelatedReading RestlessLegsSyndrome(RLS)Symptoms RestlessLegsSyndrome(RLS)Treatment DiagnosingRestlessLegsSyndrome AsaresultofthesleepdisturbancesassociatedwithRLS,patientsoftenexperiencefatigueanddaytimesleepiness.Sleepdeficiencyisassociatedwithdepression,anxiety,heartdisease,andobesity.RLSpatientsareatgreaterriskfortheseissuesaswell.ConcernsaboutsleeparethemainreasonRLSpatientsseekmedicalcarefortheircondition. RestlessLegsSyndromeandPeriodicLimbMovementDisorder MostpeoplewhohaveRLSalsohaveaconditioncalledperiodiclimbmovementdisorder(PLMD).PLMDinvolvesrepetitiveflexingortwitchingofthelimbswhileasleepatnight.ItisdifferentfromRLSinthatthesemovementsarenotaccompaniedbyuncomfortablesensationsandbecausetheyoccurduringsleep,patientsareoftennotawareofthem.However,PLMD-associatedmovementscancauseapersontowakeupandthereforecancompoundsleepissuesinpatientswhoalsohaveRLS. AlthoughmostpeoplewithRLShavePLMD,manywithPLMDdonothaveRLS. WhatCausesRestlessLegsSyndrome? Sometimes,RLSisassociatedwithothermedicalconditions,suchaslate-stagekidneydisease,irondeficiency,neuropathy,multiplesclerosis,orParkinson’sdisease. RLScanalsooccurtemporarilyduringpregnancy,witharound20%ofwomendevelopingRLSduringthethirdtrimester.ThesymptomsofRLStypicallydeclineafterdelivery. However,thecauseofmostRLScasesisunknown.RLSmayhaveageneticcomponent.Between40%and90%ofpatientswithRLShaveatleastonefirst-degreerelative(parent,sibling,orchild)withthecondition.ResearchershaveidentifiedsomegeneticchangesthatincreaseriskforRLS,butitislikelythatmorehaveyettobediscovered. RestlessLegsSyndromeTriggers SittingorrestingarecommontriggersforRLSsymptoms.Additionally,somesubstancescanmakesymptomsworse.Theseinclude: Alcohol Caffeine Nicotine Medications,includingcertaindrugsusedtotreatnausea,coldsandallergies,andmentalhealthconditions Incidentally,mostofthesesubstanceswhentakeninexcessortooclosetobedtimecanalsoadverselyaffectoursleeparchitecture. Subscribeandget3FREEmonthsoftheSlumberapp Subscribeandget3FREEmonthsoftheSlumberapp JoinournewsletterandreceiveathreemonthsubscriptiontotheSlumbersleepapponus(a$24value).Signupbelowforyourfreegift. Yourprivacyisimportanttous. HowIsRestlessLegsSyndromeManaged? ThegoalsoftreatmentforRLSaretostabilizesymptomsandimprovesleepconsistency.Therearebothnon-medicinalapproachesanddrugtreatmentsavailabletomanageRLS. HomeCareTipsforRestlessLegsSyndrome ThefollowingapproachescanreducesymptomsinpatientswithmildormoderateRLSandmaybeusedincombinationwithmedicationinRLSpatientswhohaveseveresymptoms. Sleephygiene:Goodsleephygienemeansmaintainingabedroomenvironmentandadailyroutinethatsupportshigh-qualitysleep.AvoidingalcoholandcaffeineisespeciallyimportantforRLSpatientsbecausethesesubstancescanworsensymptoms. Exercise:BecausephysicalinactivityoftentriggersRLSsymptoms,exercisemaybehelpful.AresearchstudyfoundthatRLSpatientsshowedaf39%reductioninsymptomseverityaftersixweeksofengaginginanexerciseprogramcomparedtoan8%symptomreductioninpatientswhodidnotexercise. Pneumaticpressuretherapy:Pneumaticcompressiondevicesincreasebloodflowtothelegsbyfillingwithairtosqueezethelegs.ResearchersfoundthatthedeviceimprovedRLSsymptoms,quality-of-life,andfatigueafteronemonthofdailyusecomparedtoacontrolgroup. Massageandhotbaths:UsingmassageandhotbathstostimulatethelegsiswidelyrecommendedinRLSliterature;however,thereislimitedscientificevidencesupportingtheeffectivenessofthesemethodsatthistime. LearnmoreabouttreatingRLShere. Wasthisarticlehelpful? YesNo AboutOurEditorialTeam AlexaFry SleepProductTester AlexaFryisasciencewriterwithexperienceworkingfortheNationalCancerInstitute.Shealsoholdsacertificateintechnicalwriting. HeatherWright Pathologist MD Dr.Wright,M.D.,isanAnatomicandClinicalPathologistwithafocusonhematopathology.Shehasadecadeofexperienceinthestudyofdisease. AboutOurEditorialTeam AlexaFry SleepProductTester AlexaFryisasciencewriterwithexperienceworkingfortheNationalCancerInstitute.Shealsoholdsacertificateintechnicalwriting. HeatherWright Pathologist MD Dr.Wright,M.D.,isanAnatomicandClinicalPathologistwithafocusonhematopathology.Shehasadecadeofexperienceinthestudyofdisease. Share: References +11Sources 1.GeneticsHomeReference.(2018,May1).RestlessLegsSyndrome.RetrievedSeptember16,2020,fromhttps://medlineplus.gov/genetics/condition/restless-legs-syndrome/ 2.NationalInstituteofNeurologicalDisordersandStroke.(2020,March17).RestlessLegsSyndromeFactSheet.RetrievedSeptember16,2020,fromhttps://www.ninds.nih.gov/Disorders/Patient-Caregiver-Education/Fact-Sheets/Restless-Legs-Syndrome-Fact-Sheet 3.AmericanAcademyofSleepMedicine.(2014).TheInternationalClassificationofSleepDisorders–ThirdEdition(ICSD-3).Darien,IL.https://learn.aasm.org/Public/Catalog/Home.aspx 4.BoganR.K.(2006).Effectsofrestlesslegssyndrome(RLS)onsleep.Neuropsychiatricdiseaseandtreatment,2(4),513–519.https://doi.org/10.2147/nedt.2006.2.4.513 5.NationalHeart,Lung,andBloodInstitute.(n.d.).SleepDeprivationandDeficiency.RetrievedSeptember16,2020,fromhttps://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health-topics/sleep-deprivation-and-deficiency 6.SchwabR.J.(2020,June).MerckManualProfessionalVersion:PeriodicLimbMovementDisorder(PLMD)andRestlessLegsSyndrome(RLS).RetrievedSeptember16,2020,fromhttps://www.merckmanuals.com/professional/neurologic-disorders/sleep-and-wakefulness-disorders/periodic-limb-movement-disorder-plmd-and-restless-legs-syndrome-rls 7.Darvishi,N.,Daneshkhah,A.,Khaledi-Paveh,B.,Vaisi-Raygani,A.,Mohammadi,M.,Salari,N.,Darvishi,F.,Abdi,A.,&Jalali,R.(2020).TheprevalenceofRestlessLegsSyndrome/Willis-ekbomdisease(RLS/WED)inthethirdtrimesterofpregnancy:asystematicreview.BMCneurology,20(1),132.https://doi.org/10.1186/s12883-020-01709-0 8.Aukerman,M.M.,Aukerman,D.,Bayard,M.,Tudiver,F.,Thorp,L.,&Bailey,B.(2006).Exerciseandrestlesslegssyndrome:arandomizedcontrolledtrial.JournaloftheAmericanBoardofFamilyMedicine:JABFM,19(5),487–493.https://doi.org/10.3122/jabfm.19.5.487 9.Lettieri,C.J.,&Eliasson,A.H.(2009).Pneumaticcompressiondevicesareaneffectivetherapyforrestlesslegssyndrome:aprospective,randomized,double-blinded,sham-controlledtrial.Chest,135(1),74–80.https://doi.org/10.1378/chest.08-1665 10.MitchellU.H.(2011).Nondrug-relatedaspectoftreatingEkbomdisease,formerlyknownasrestlesslegssyndrome.Neuropsychiatricdiseaseandtreatment,7,251–257.https://doi.org/10.2147/NDT.S19177 11.Wang,J.,O'Reilly,B.,Venkataraman,R.,Mysliwiec,V.,&Mysliwiec,A.(2009).Efficacyoforalironinpatientswithrestlesslegssyndromeandalow-normalferritin:Arandomized,double-blind,placebo-controlledstudy.Sleepmedicine,10(9),973–975.https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sleep.2008.11.003 LearnmoreaboutRestlessLegsSyndrome(RLS) Treatment By DaniellePacheco | February5,2021 Symptoms By DaniellePacheco | February5,2021 Diagnosis By DaniellePacheco | October16,2020 RestlessLegsSyndrome(RLS) By AlexaFry | October2,2020 RelatedReading HowSleepWorks RestlessLegsSyndrome(RLS)Treatment Restlesslegssyndrome(RLS),otherwiseknownasWillis-Ekbomdisease,isadisorder characterizedby uncomfortabletinglingsensationsandanirresistible… RestlessLegSyndrome DiagnosingRestlessLegsSyndrome Ifyouareexperiencinglegpainatnight,youmaybewonderingifyouhaverestlesslegsyndrome(RLS).Nighttime… Insomnia WomenandSleep Goodsleepisessentialforourphysical,mental,andemotionalwellbeing.Theaverageadultneedsseventoninehoursof… OtherArticlesofInterest SleepSolutions TopMatttressesoftheYear WeightedBlankets MattressToppers BestMattressinaBox BestMattressforLowerBackPain Insomnia LearnAboutInsomnia WhatToDoWhenYouCan'tSleep? 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