Kicking The Sleep Habit-Movement Disorders And Insomnia
Among the most frequent causes of insomnia are restless leg syndrome (RLS) and periodic limb movement disorder (PLMD). These involve involuntary movement that prevents sleep onset and/or makes restful sleep very difficult.
Some people think that RLS and PLMD are just 2 different ways of saying the same thing. However, they are 2 distinct disorders with different symptoms. Although the 2 are related, they don’t always occur together.
People with RLS experience unusual crawling sensations in their legs (usually the calves). RLS sufferers move their legs constantly, seeking relief from the strange feelings. For people with severe RLS, the urge to move their legs is almost irresistible because this relieve their discomfort, however briefly.
About 8% of Americans suffer from RLS, although symptoms can occur any time during the day, is most noticeable when inactive or lying down to sleep.
Some people only have symptoms when they try to sleep at night, while others beginning in the early evening, becoming progressively worse as night approaches. RLS can make falling and staying asleep difficult, if not impossible.
RLS-related fatigue and exhaustion interferes with family relations, job performance and overall quality of life. Because people with RLS may be chronically sleep deprived, they suffer all the usual symptoms of sleep deprivation including irritability, mood swings, inability to concentrate and perform routine tasks and memory lapses.
In most cases, the causes of RLS are idiopathic, or unknown, it runs in families, accounting for about ½ the cases, but a deficiency of B12, folate, or iron can also cause it.
The disorder becomes more common as people get older and symptoms have a tendency to become more severe over time. There are documented cases have shown where the disorder actually improved without any special treatment.
Up to 15% of women may experience symptoms of RLS during pregnancy, perhaps due to anemia or folate deficiencies, or underlying mineral imbalances brought on by the pregnancy. The symptoms may resolve on their own after a woman gives birth
People with mild RLS may hardly notice they have a problem, while people with moderate or severe cases do suffer significant sleep disruption and insomnia. The symptoms include:
• Odd sensations deep inside the legs (between the knee and ankle) and feet and occasionally the arms. They feel like crawling inside or up the leg and sometimes like itching, burning, tugging or pulling
• Restlessness
• Symptoms get worse when a person is sitting still or resting
• Unusual daytime sleepiness
Many physicians persist in ascribing the symptoms of to nervousness, ADHD, arthritis, muscular injuries or cramps, insomnia, or aging. As a result many people are reluctant to discuss their symptoms with their doctors.
Some common drugs can aggravate the symptoms. If you start experiencing new or worsening symptoms after taking the drug, chances are RLS could be a side effect. Talk with your doctor about switching medications to reduce or eliminate RLS symptoms
Moderate exercise like walking seems to lessen symptoms: aggressive exercise seems to make them worse for some people, but can be very helpful in others. Experiment to see what’s best for you, other possibly beneficial measures, include leg massages and taking a hot bath close to bedtime.
Although no drug is specifically approved for use in RLS, doctors have found some success in using low doses of drugs approved for treating Parkinson’s disease.
Alternately, some anticonvulsant medications and even some sleeping pills have been used with varying success. Your doctor can design a medication program best suited to your individual needs
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