The nocturnal leg cramps or night leg cramps are pains that occur in the legs while you are sleeping. This often wakes you up and appears in the night because you are inactive during the day. The night leg cramps usually happen in your calf, but they can happen also in the feet and the thighs. This pain in your muscles can last from a few seconds to a few minutes. But, when the pain is gone, the muscles may stay sore until the next day or for the night. This condition can happen in both women and men, and mostly in those people over the 50 years.
Leg cramps at night time are different from the restless leg syndrome
The night leg cramps and the RSL or restless leg syndrome usually occurs during the sleep, and this is the resemblance between the two aliments. The remaining features of the restless leg syndrome and the leg cramps are mostly different, and here are the differences:
- Unlike the night leg cramps, the restless leg syndrome doesn’t induce cramps or pain
- The restless leg syndrome is more of a crawling feeling and the legs and feeling of soreness
- The restless leg syndrome makes you want to move your legs, and the leg cramps at night make you avoid the movement
- If you move the leg while you have RLS, you will feel a relief, and if you move the leg while you have a leg cramp, you won’t, and instead of moving, you have to stretch it.
Risk factors and causes of night leg cramps
What actually causes the night leg cramps is still an unknown thing, but there are some risk factors and causes that may trigger the leg cramps like:
- Sitting for a long time
- Overexertion of your leg muscles
- Working on a concrete floors or standing for a long
- Sitting inadequately
But, there are some health conditions that may cause the leg cramps, including:
- Pregnancy
- Alcoholism
- Dehydration
- Endocrine disorders (like diabetes)
- Neuromuscular disorders
- Parkinson’s disease
- Structural disorders (like flat feet)
- Beta agonists, diuretics, statins
Prevention and treatment for night leg cramps
The treatment of the leg cramps depends on the main reason that caused them. If the dehydration is the main cause of the leg cramps, you have to take enough liquids every day. Here we will show you some other treatments and also preventive methods that will help you to relieve the night leg cramps:
- Use horse chestnut because they improve the blood flow in the legs and the body
- Put a heating pad on the affected area
- Take a relaxing and warm bath before you go to bed in order to release the tightness of your muscles
- Consume enough potassium and magnesium, because the lack of these two minerals can cause leg cramps
- Make sure that your shoes are ergonomic and comfortable, and also avoid wearing high heals
- Stretch the body before you go to bed
What to do when the cramps happen
If the night leg cramp happens in the middle of the night, there is a great chance that you feel almost paralyzed. You have to know how to remove them and how to reduce the soreness and find a relief. You can use some of the following tips:
- Get up and try to walk around. Also, you can shake the legs so your blood begins flowing better
- Take one tablespoon of mustard (yellow) because it helps in removing the discomfort
- Sit on the floor, extend the legs and flex the feet at your ankles. Then you should point the toes toward the knees and pull the feet for a better stretch
- Check out if the sheets and the blankest are loose enough and they don’t make the muscles contract
- Massage the area gently with circular motions
Source: Beauty Health Page
If you think this post was useful, Please do share it with your family and friends by clicking the share button below.