Does anyone else have crazy legs? Or excuse me, “restless legs”? P can always tell when I have crazy legs because I won’t even notice that I’m shaking the whole bed from my jiggly legs.
I get in bed & I just have to shake or move them because right at the top of my calves/back of my knees there’s this really uncomfortable feeling, it doesn’t really hurt but it’s really uncomfortable. Unless you have it I’m not sure you can really understand it, when I try to describe it to P he has no idea what I’m talking about. I think he thinks it’s a bit of a mental problem. (;
SO my reason for posting about this is I want to know if anyone of you who have crazy legs have at home remedies for it??? Between the migraines & PPD I am already taking more prescription meds than I like so the last thing I want is to add another pill to the mix. Right now my only solution is a heating pad. I have this one that I found forever ago at the drugstore & I just love it…SoftHeat Heating Pad Dry, 12-Inch by 14-Inch
I’d say it does the trick about 50% of the time but for the other times I’m just kind of screwed.
Last night was one of them, I was up till around 1am just not able to settle down. And it’s all in my legs, the rest of me is exhausted!
I’ve looked online before and found some crazy remedies like putting a bar of soap under the sheets, (You should’ve seen the puzzled look on P’s face the next morning when he tried to make the bed.) but haven’t had any luck.
Would love to know if I’m not alone in this, I don’t need any more reasons to believe I’m a hypochondriac mental case!
I have really bad restless legs. I don't take anything for it. My doctor told me the cause, in my case, is that I fold my legs under myself all of the time. I usually sit an Indian style position or with one leg under me all of the time. When I'm conscious of this, and I stop myself from doing it, I can tell a difference when I go to bed.
Wow, I do that too! I wonder if that would help me, even when I'm driving I have to resist the urge to curl my left leg up in my seat. Weird & obviously a safety issue…i know!
I have no tips…just sympathy. My college roomie had this and my hubby gets it mildly and it literally makes me sea sick from all the shaking! Usually if I give him a minute or two to rub it out he's done.
I feel like I have been commenting a lot lately. Heh sorry to post so many comments but my grandmother tried the soap thing and it seemed to work for her. I don't get why it works for some people? Any way she also stretches before bed as well and she said that seems to help a lot too. Good Luck!
I also have restless legs…it is like a weird tingling that makes me squirm, bounce my feet, mimic using a thigh master or tense my glutes and lean backwards…so frustrating. I jump in bed so to speak when it hits me while asleep, scaring the heck out of DH. I also sit indian style a lot or cross my legs over one another while sitting. I have found relief from stretching. I guess I will try the soap.
I had RLS when I was pregnant and my doctor told me to eat more bananas…she said something about the potassium helps with it. So I did and it did seem to help a little!
I have had some trouble with RLS. I've found that sleeping with a body pillow between my legs helps a lot and it also muffles the shaking of the bed!
I have the same thing – I'm so glad you blogged about it! thanks everyone for all the suggestions – I always have my legs under me, and I even do the same thing as Natasha while driving sometimes – really not safe.Didn't think about the two tendencies being connected. The banana thing makes sense too, I'll have to try that.
I have poor circulation in my legs which causes my RLS. I try to get out and walk everyday and sometimes right before bed I make a few trips up and down the stairs, it really helps! The days I don't do those things are the days I have trouble sleeping.
Funny you brought this up now… there was a recent blog post on making a weighted blanket. Maybe one would help with your RLS? Good luck!
http://craftnectar.com/2009/09/03/calming-the-senses-with-weighted-blankets/
i used to have this problem too. I noticed it was more prevelant when i was stressed or super tired. I mentioned it to my doctor and she said it was likely a circulation issue. She recommended eating more veggies, nuts, fruits and fish. I haven't had any issues in recents months.
Sounds like we're not alone and not crazy! My husbie thinks I'm crazy, too. But you can only understand if you actually experience it.
The main things that help are exercise and nutrition. I find that streching really well in the pm helps. I'm not talking about light streches- I mean almost to the point of pain (but not quite) also, flexing for 10 (or however many)seconds and then relaxing, and repeating that a few times. If I'm already in bed and it's just not going away I might flex and release right in the bed a few times since it's not too disruptive, but sometimes you just have to get up and walk around (or stairs if possible. If not, then lunges).
Of course, daily exercise helps prevent it, I find that running or elliptical/stairs at high intensity makes the biggest difference.
I have also learned that eating the right things before bed helps. My fave is a banana and milk. Aparently this condition (that is NOT just in your head) can be linked to deficiencies in potasium, magnesium, iron and folate. Because of this, I take suppliments too.
Also, if I have caffiene too late in the day (like after lunch) it will do it for me, so I only have my coffee in the am.
And lastly, being too hot or cold triggers mine. I've found for me that it's best if I relax in bed for a little while without the blankets until I start to feel uncomfortably cold. Only once I'm cold do I put the covers on. I have found this to really help alot. My Mom has this, too, but she does the opposite, she sleeps with socks on and a duvet even in the summer.
I hope some of this helps. Sorry for the novel-length comment. It's so hard to deal with your daily life when your sleep isn't good quality. Good luck at finding what works for you.
PS- I've been following your blog for awhile and love it! I'll try to be better about commenting 😉 I love all your sewing projects.
Wow, this is good stuff! Thank you guys so much for the advice, I'm taking all of it!! The weighted blanket interest me too…I do love the feeling of the heavy lead apron you get for xrays. I LOVE knowing I'm in good company!!!
Wow!! This has been a HUGE help for me! I came here to post a comment, but I am late and got lots of help instead. Everything makes sooo much sense! And it all rings so true for me – lack of exercise, poor nutrition, stress. The one thing that I notice with me is if I am really tired, it will happen before I even get into bed. I tend to sit on the couch with my legs on the coffee table and my laptop on my lap. I get the funny feeling that we all know so well and I have to shake my legs out. That's when I know it's definitely time to go to bed! Even if I don't feel really tired, my body is!! And heaven knows I over-do it and don't get enough sleep!
Thanks for all the help and I feel so much better hearing everyone's descriptions. I've been wondering if I had it or not, but from what you all have said – I got it for sure!!
I had crazy legs too with all of my pregnancy the only thing that made it go away was pillow's under my legs.