Anxiety-Free Sleep: 3 Common Causes of Restless Leg Syndrome And How To Get Rid Of Them
What is Restless Leg Syndrome?
Sleep disturbances can be both stress-related and circadian-related (related to your sleep/wake cycle). The common sleep disturbances we’re likely to encounter in the morning include nightmares, insomnia, waking up tired, or early-morning high blood sugar levels. Sleep disturbances can also be due to physical or psychological factors that change the timing or phase of our circadian clock. Some of these, like eating late at night and stress, are more likely to be related to an underlying sleep disorder, while others, like the nightly rise and fall of body temperature and nervous system activity, have more to do with the circadian system itself.It is a condition characterized by an abnormal need to move one’s legs every few minutes. There can be triggers which cause an exaggerated fight-or-flight response and lead to restlessness, particularly at night. RLS can also lead to a fear of getting in bed at night.
Common Causes of Restless Leg Syndrome
1. Diet
We mentioned this above, but if you find your sleep is disrupted by RLS, you may want to look into your diet. Certain food choices can trigger RLS symptoms in some people. Some foods that may be to blame include sugar-sweetened beverages, caffeine, refined grains, red meat, and high levels of alcohol. Watch what you eat to make sure that you’re giving yourself the best shot at getting enough sleep, but it’s a lot easier said than done. If you need help with this, see the doctors for more information!
2. Over-Use of Antidepressants
Other causes of RLS could include using medications like antidepressant or anti-anxiety medication too frequently.
3. Changes in your daily routine. The main culprit of RLS is a sudden change in your routine, as opposed to changes in your routine occurring gradually over time. The change causes your nervous system to go into overdrive, which triggers uncomfortable symptoms such as leg jerking, muscle twitching, and restless sleep.
How to Get Rid of Restless Leg Syndrome
1. Yoga
Yoga can be a fantastic form of therapy that will not only help your posture, but it can help with your symptoms of RLS and insomnia. It also has anti-inflammatory properties that help reduce your leg pain. You can also take a few yoga poses to ease the symptoms of RLS. Try 10 easy yoga poses and counting each as a specific symptom you have.
2. Keep warm
One of the most common causes of RLS is cold, dry air or air conditioning. If you’re laying in bed and it feels warm, you can bundle up in a blanket or extra comfy clothing, making sure that you’re not overheating. This will likely make the symptoms of RLS go away.
3. Sleeping on a self-inflating mattress. To help your sleep last longer, use an air matress or supplement with melatonin to make sleeping more peaceful.
4. Eat small meals several hours before bed time.
5. Stay away from caffeine and alcohol at least six hours before bedtime.Caffeine can cause many symptoms including RLS. Try limiting yourself to 3 cups of coffee or tea a day and switch to green tea instead.
6. Use a humidifier
Dry air in the winter can cause your body temperature to drop, making it easy to develop RLS symptoms. To counter this, you can use a humidifier to keep your room at a warm and moist temperature. You can also apply an eye mask and ear plugs in order to block out the noise and stimulate your natural sleep cycles.
Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy
Reducing stress
Exercising in the morning
Controlling your diet
Exercise as a Stress Reliever
Tiredness, lack of physical activity, and lack of sleep are a big part of many people’s lives. This is especially true for those who have a full-time job, numerous responsibilities, or a high-energy lifestyle.
Exercise is a great way to reduce stress and increase energy levels, and people who have RLS can definitely benefit from exercise as a way to combat it and improve overall health. Try to incorporate some cardiovascular and flexibility exercises into your daily routine, and these simple tips to help you get more rest.
Restorative Sleep
Since RLS can often be a symptom of another medical condition, it’s important to make sure that there isn’t another underlying medical cause of the problem.
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