I decided to write a post on how to calm restless legs after experiencing it myself recently. I had heard of it sure, my mother had complained of it, but until I actually had it myself it just never really occurred to me how AWFUL it really is. I mean, they just don’t want to stay STILL and you can’t sleep and you can’t relax. It’s horrible when you are trying to sleep. So I went online to try and figure out what was going on, why I was having it and how I could fix it.
What I discovered for myself was that my hormones were out of whack and I was essentially experiencing what a lot of pregnant women or women in perimenopause and menopause have to go through.
You have my sympathies. Truly.
Restless legs in pregnancy happens in about 19% of pregnant women. And while they say it doesn’t cause serious health problems I can assure you when you can’t sleep, that feels pretty serious to me. Because having severe fatigue, especially when you are pregnant is just not a good thing.
How to Sleep with Restless Legs
Basically, you can’t. If you have them, they aren’t going to let you unless you try and do something to make them stop. Prevention is key, so first I will discuss what you can do to try and prevent the RLS from happening in the first place, then I will tell you what you can do IF it is too late and your legs are a twitching.
What To Do About RLS – Help Restless Legs Rest
The first thing you can do is start moving at lunchtime. Instead of sitting at lunchtime, go for a walk.
Second, get your circulation going in the afternoon by jogging in place for a few minutes.
Third, take a break at work and get up and stretch and walk around for at least 5 minutes.
At the end of your day, stretch your legs – get a leg massage.
Unwind with a hot bath – this helps for some. Others need to chill out and use ice packs to calm those restless legs.
CHECK YOUR VITAMINS!
Are you getting enough Iron?
– Iron deficiency can cause RLS
How’s your alcohol intake?
– Drinking alcohol can make RLS symptoms worse.
Also, avoid eating late. Heavy meals can also increase rls symptoms.
Are you taking any prescription medications? If so, check their side effects, rls might be listed.
Tips To Help RLS
– Get regular, moderate exercise
– Use a heating pad to soothe your rls symptoms
– Use ice or a cold shower (Where to place ice packs for restless legs? For me, below knees helps the most.)
– Don’t overexercise! Moderate exercise is the way to go, excessive can cause your symptoms to worsen
– Avoid nicotine and caffeine close to bedtime
– Keep a regular sleep schedule
As I mentioned at the beginning of my post, I was experiencing RLS due to a hormonal imbalance. What I uncovered for myself was that my estrogen levels were either too high, or out of balance with my progesterone (meaning I had low progesterone so my estrogen levels were more extreme).
If you have a hormone imbalance that could possible be due to low progesterone, it is recommended to take Vitamin E, a B-complex (especially getting enough B6). Melatonin and Evening Primrose Oil can also help increase progesterone levels.
Progesterone is a hormone naturally created by our bodies, however it is also the hormone that creates all the others (i.e. Estrogen and Testosterone.) It is depleted easily by factors such as stress, exercise and lack of sleep. So help your body out, try to stay calm and relaxed as much as possible. Take your vitamins and see if some small simple relaxation and vitamin changes can help your body to balance out.
Do you have any tips to help out RLS sufferers? Please leave a comment below.
Your Friend,
Kat
NurturingYourBody.com
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