Restless Leg Syndrome


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What is Restless Leg Syndrome?

Restless Leg syndrome is a sleep-related movement disorder that causes the sufferer to have to move during the night to releave a sensation they feel in their legs. The sensation felt is often described as a crawling, tingling feeling and movement of the legs will ease this temporarily. It has been researched that the disorder is likely to run in the family and affects up to 5% of adults. It is more common with increased age but can occur from even before the 20s. The symptoms are mostly predominant during the evening and night-time and can seriously affect the sufferer’s sleeping pattern. The sensation experienced in your legs or arms means you often feel like you need to walk around and stretch to relieve the feeling. Thus your sleep is disturbed which can then take its toll on your daily activities and you will feel fatigued due to the lack of sleep suffered. Partners can also become sufferers of daytime fatigue as the movement caused by the sufferer at night will disturb their sleep.

Periodic Limb Movement Disorder

Many people who suffer from restless leg syndrome will also suffer from Periodic Limb Movement Disorder (PLMD) which is when the legs, and sometimes arms, are subject to uncontrollable jerks and spasms, possibly waking the sufferer and causing a disturbed night’s sleep. They can occur nearly every minute too, and can also prove a problem for the sufferer’s bed partner as they may receive an underserved kick!

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