A calm and full sleep is important for a person at any age. But the older we get, the more difficult it is to fall asleep. Someone is interrupted by headaches and overwork. Others complain of severe leg pain. These are, perhaps, two main problems that do not allow to fall asleep. But if with a headache everything is more or less clear (drank an analgesic - and it became easier), then why he twists his legs before going to bed, you need to understand.
What is the reason
Unfortunately, not a single doctor will answer this question. You can get an ultrasound scan, get tested and go to doctors in circles. Everything is in order with the legs, no pathologies of the joints are observed, but the person is still not up to sleep. You can talk about psychosomatics, nerves and self-hypnosis as much as you like, but when a person can’t lie for a minute without movement, because he feels very uncomfortable, such answers will definitely not suit him.
And what do the doctors say, why does he twist his legs before going to bed? They dispense with the vague wording of restless legs syndrome. It began to be called so recently, 10 years ago, such a term did not appear in any medical reference book. But there is a problem, and it should be called somehow.
How does it manifest
Ask your moms and grandmothers. They probably know and will tell you about it. This is a very unpleasant sensation that does not look like pain or numbness. But the legs twist so much that they want to move. Moreover, the movement becomes a little easier. But as soon as you settle down and try to sleep, the discomfort returns.
The constant movement of the legs becomes a nightmare. And not only for the patient himself, but also for his spouse. What is it like trying to fall asleep when the wife (most often women are predisposed to this problem) turns around and finds no place for herself? The disease has several stages or degrees:
- Easy - when the patient makes 5 to 20 movements in 1 hour.
- Average - up to 60 movements per hour.
- Severe - all that is more than these indicators.
The last stage exhausts the patient. He cannot sleep normally, he has to get up and walk for a while so that the pain goes away. Of course, in the morning he will rise without strength, especially if this continues day after day. You need to try to find out why he twists his legs before going to bed, and level the reasons.
What contributes to the development of the disease
Most often, middle-aged or older women are affected. And there can be many reasons for this. But among the list of reasons why he twists his legs before bedtime, it should be noted:
- Heredity.
- Metabolic disease.
- Iron deficiency.
- Renal failure.
- Deficiency of magnesium and folic acid.
- Pregnancy.
- Diabetes.
- Vascular pathology.
This is only part of the diseases in which the development of this syndrome becomes most likely. People who twist their legs in the evening do not care why this happens. It is much more important to find a way to get rid of this scourge. But therefore, it is necessary to look for prerequisites in order to offer each patient the most adequate treatment.
Ecbom syndrome treatment
This is his second name. He received it by the name of the doctor who first registered this syndrome in 1945. It can be a manifestation of neurological diseases, rheumatoid arthritis, obliterating endarteritis, kidney pathology, anemia. But in half of the sick, violations simply cannot be detected. Therefore, doctors are more concerned not about why women spin their legs before going to bed, but how to help them.
Individual treatment. Drugs are used that normalize the concentration of dopamine, that is, a substance that transmits information to nerve cells in the brain. Sometimes drugs that relax the muscles help. The disease is most easily treatable if its cause is a lack of iron.
Recommendations that will bring relief
Everything is individual here, so doctors today are working on this problem and are looking for an answer to the question of why women twist their legs before going to bed. The following recommendations will help reduce the manifestation of unpleasant symptoms:
- Do not overeat, especially before bedtime. This complicates the functioning of the digestive system and can contribute to the development of unpleasant symptoms.
- Before going to bed, walk for at least 40 minutes.
- Hypothermia becomes the impetus for the appearance of painful symptoms. Try to dress for the season.
- Some patients benefit from warm foot baths. It gets better from cold or wet feet wrapping. Try both.
- Try putting on socks at night. Some use cotton, others warm, woolen.
- Reduces the manifestation of the disease foot massage before bedtime. Rub them with peppermint oil until red.
- If at night you woke up from intolerable discomfort, it is recommended to get up and walk around the room. It usually gets easier.
- Do not drink alcohol, this will only make it worse.
- If you smoke, try to quit immediately. Nicotine causes vasospasm in the limbs. If you are looking for an answer to the question of why a man twists his legs before going to bed, you must definitely check for the presence of a bad habit.
- Eat more apples, because they contain a lot of iron.
For expectant mother
Sometimes for the first time women encounter such a problem during pregnancy, and usually not the first. This is due to age characteristics. By the time the family ripens for the second baby, the woman most often in 30 years. During pregnancy, you should be very careful about any pain symptoms and consult a doctor. Most often, a specialist prescribes folic acid, iron preparations, or sedatives in this case.
It is important for expectant mother not to worry, walk more before bedtime and go to bed at the same time. It is undesirable to drink strong coffee, especially in the evening. Relief can bring cooling gels. Not only Lyoton, but also other, cheaper means. Today there are a lot of them in the pharmacy.
Maternity Treatment
Here, the doctor also has to individually decide why he twists his calf before bedtime at his patient. In one woman, this may be due to a lack of vitamins and minerals, in others - to a lack of iron and magnesium. Some doctors associate these symptoms with a sharp change in body weight. To make up for the lack of vitamins, the doctor prescribes vitamin preparations.
Simple gymnastics helps a lot. It is not so important why pregnant women twist their legs before going to bed. The main thing is the ability to provide effective assistance. Therefore, get comfortable before going to bed and do the exercises:
- Stretch your legs. Pull the socks towards you, and try to pull the heels away from you.
- Tilt your feet left and right.
- Do these exercises every time before going to bed.
Gymnastics helps everyone who twists their legs before going to bed. Let the doctor look for the reasons, and if you want to sleep peacefully, then do not be lazy and perform simple exercises every day. Add to this the exercise “bike” and contrasting baths, as well as a relaxing massage with any cooling cream.
Leg pain after childbirth
Pregnancy is behind, your long-awaited baby sniffles in the crib, but the problem has not gone away. Moreover, after childbirth, many note severe pain in the back, lower back and legs. There are many reasons. During childbirth, the fetus passes through the birth canal, as a result of which the muscles of the pelvic floor, spine, and pubic ligament are stretched. Pain is given to the lower back and passes to the legs. Answering the question of why a woman twists her legs after childbirth before going to bed, one should not forget about varicose veins. To avoid thrombophlebitis, you need to use special tools to relieve the symptoms of edema and varicose veins. The cream itself will not solve the problem, but the pain and severity will relieve.
Convulsions and the fight against them
After childbirth, not only restless legs syndrome is observed. The enormous lack of calcium in the body and the need for milk production are exacerbated by the development of seizures. Contributes to this anemia and frequent consumption of coffee. Most often, convulsions begin to pester at night. No need to self-medicate, only a doctor can prescribe the necessary vitamins and minerals. Usually, after you restore normal intake of folic acid, iron, and calcium, you will forget about these symptoms forever.
If the problem is associated with blockage of the veins, then you can not do without a vascular surgeon. After the diagnosis, he can recommend a visit to the chiropractor, kinesiotherapy. To sleep peacefully all night, use the following recipes:
- A quarter cup of magnesium sulfate, 3 tablespoons of any oil, dried lavender and 2 drops of peppermint oil. Gently mix all the ingredients and apply the mixture on your feet. Now fill the basin with warm water and lower your legs into it for 10 minutes. Rub with any moisturizer.
- A foot bath helps, in which you need to add 10 leaves of mint, a glass of sea salt, slices of lime or lemon.
- Homemade foot scrub. Take three tablespoons of sugar, three crushed lemons, 15 crushed mint leaves and a quarter cup of baking soda. Rub the scrub into the skin with massaging movements, then wipe it off with a damp cloth and apply a moisturizing lotion.
Road experience
Many people are faced with this, if necessary, sit for a long time in transport. During the day, the trip can even bring pleasure, but in the evening it becomes much worse, and sometimes simply unbearable. Why does he twist his legs in the car, especially before going to bed? Doctors explain this by the fact that blood circulation is impaired. Due to the need to maintain one posture for a long time, the inability to stand up and stretch blood and lymph in the limbs stagnate. You can not discount the stress, which is any long journey.
Practical experience shows that a simple "Glycine" can significantly alleviate the condition. To do this, you just need to put the pill under the tongue - and that's all, a quiet sleep is provided. Just do not drink, namely absorb. Children can also be given Glycine. It perfectly relaxes the body and promotes good sleep.
Spins legs in children
Despite the fact that this problem is considered age-related, children often complain of severe pain in their legs. Someone cannot sleep, others wake up crying in the middle of the night. This is the same Ekbom syndrome pestering your little ones. It happens with such complaints at night that the parents wake up a child of kindergarten age, but schoolchildren, teenagers, as well as boys and girls are not insured.
The first thing that is required of you is not to panic and reassure the child. Say that you also often twist your legs before going to bed. What kind of medicine can I advise? It is best to start with warm baths. Pour warm water into a bucket or basin, and let the child lower the legs into it. Usually after 10 minutes it becomes much easier. It does not hurt to rub the legs with any warming ointment and put on cotton socks. The next morning, the baby will not remember the nightly "adventures."
The strong half of humanity
Yes, the stronger sex is also not immune to restless legs syndrome. Whether a man is busy at work, physically works, or spends all day at a computer or a drawing table, the percentage of complaints will be approximately the same in all these cases. What if a man twists his legs before bedtime? First of all, try to give up cigarettes or, at least, reduce the number of smoked per day. The second point is alcohol. No need to try to improve sleep by consuming alcohol. This will lead to the opposite result.
Adults can take nightly medications such as Valerian extract or Novo-Passit. There are more powerful drugs that can not always be bought at a pharmacy without a prescription. Typically, these drugs are prescribed for Parkinson's disease. This is Madopar, Mirapex. If you do not get involved in such drugs, then nothing terrible will happen.
Not always medicines are at hand, especially if not too often a man twists his legs before going to bed. What to do if the problem is found with an empty first-aid kit and you cannot fall asleep? Use one of the following recommendations. Make a warm bath, rub the limbs, perform a series of simple exercises. If heat does not help, experiment with massage with ice cubes and a wet towel. One of the recipes will certainly help and will be yours forever.
Instead of a conclusion
Restless legs syndrome is not an independent disease, but rather a symptom of existing pathologies. That is why it is so difficult to treat. The less significant these disturbances, the less impact is required in order to achieve relief. A doctor’s consultation will not hurt, but you don’t have to put on a magic pill much. Therefore, you need to master the ways of self-help, which will come to the rescue in difficult times. The simplest and most effective remedy can be considered warm foot baths. Most reviews indicate that only 10-15 minutes of water procedures allow you to relax and feel much better.