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SLEEP DISORDERS CENTER
Restless Legs Syndrome
“Doctor, if you can’t help me, I’m going to cut off my
legs.”
“Worms crawl under my skin if I don’t keep moving my
legs.”
“My legs decide they want to run, and I have to
follow.”
“After I get in bed, a gremlin grabs my legs and leads
me around like a puppet."
These dramatic statements come from people who have a
disorder known as restless legs syndrome (RLS).
To someone who has not experienced RLS, these
descriptions may sound bizarre or unbelievable. However, these feelings are
all too real for a person who has restless legs. As the name suggests, this
disorder affects primarily the legs but can also affect the arms. This
medical condition, often appearing in otherwise healthy people, is not
related to emotional or psychiatric disorders.
Although people experience restless legs in many
different ways, they all describe very unpleasant, “creepy, crawly”
sensations that occur in their legs when they are sitting or lying still,
especially at bedtime. For some people, RLS is very painful, but the pain
is not like the pain of a leg cramp. RLS is also different from the problem
caused when blood supply to the legs is cut off, such as when a person has
sat on a foot for a long time and it has “fallen asleep.” The symptoms of
RLS are also different from the “pins and needles” or the burning sensation
that a person with diabetes may experience. The pain and unpleasant
feelings of RLS appear most often in the calves of the legs and are
temporarily relieved by stretching or moving the legs.
Restless legs syndrome occurs while a person is awake,
but can also affect a person’s ability to sleep. The constant need to
stretch or move the legs to get rid of the uncomfortable or painful feelings
often prevents a person with RLS from falling asleep. As a result, the
person may be extremely tired during the day and unable to carry out his or
her duties or to participate in normal activities.
RLS’s interference with sleep is bad enough but the
sleepiness that results from a restless night is not the only daytime
problem. During the day, RLS can limit a person’s activities by interfering
with the length of time a person can travel by car, airplane, or any other
kind of transportation that requires a person to sit still for long periods
of time. RLS may disturb a person’s enjoyment of movies or concerts and may
limit participation in business meetings. The sleep loss and disturbance of
daytime activities may lead to feelings of anxiety and depression. |
