5 Tips for Dealing with Restless Leg Syndrome

5 Tips for Dealing with Restless Leg Syndrome

Are you the type of person that falls asleep quickly only to wake up in the middle of the night? Often, we are able to fall back to sleep quickly, while other times we stay wide awake. Stress and anxiety are often the culprit. Music can help ease you back to sleep, as can focusing on restorative sleep.

Although annoying, it is normal to wake up during the night and sometimes people do without remembering in the morning. But frequently waking up in the middle of the night and not falling back asleep can affect your overall physical and mental health. Restless leg syndrome effects 5-10% of adults in the United States. This condition is marked by constant movement of the leg because of discomfort. Dr. Jason Loth offers practical advice for finding relief and a better night’s rest.

 

Get some exercise

Exercise helps you pump out toxins and facilitate blood flow to the tissues which helps bring nutrients to the muscles. Activities such as walking, hiking, swimming, running, and weightlifting all have health benefits. So, keep in mind that getting exercise isn’t only for the gym. Every person is different, and they should do the activities that fit best into their lifestyle.

Regularly stretch the glutes, quadriceps, hamstrings and calf muscles to help loosen and relax the muscles of the legs. Use a foam roller and self-massage these muscles while using your body weight for leverage. This will help relieve tension too.

 

Take a Bath

A helpful self-treatment is a warm epsom salt or magnesium bath. Magnesium acts as a natural calcium blocker, helping muscle cells relax after contracting. 

 

Try therapeutic massages and chiropractic adjustments

Nervous system controls and musculature function and pain signals can be helped with chiropractic adjustments, because spinal joints are restricted, the nerve irritation can lead to pain in the legs. Therapeutic massages loosen the muscles and can have a positive impact to alleviate restless leg syndrome.

 

Focus on Proper Sleep Posture

Be sure that you are sleeping with correct posture, and that you have optimal support from both your mattress and your pillow. Correct sleep posture is when you are sleeping on either your back or you side – never on your stomach. If you are a side sleeper, use a body pillow to keep your legs in correct posture and for support. For back sleepers, use a pillow to put underneath your knees to support your legs. The Spine Align Pillow will help your head and neck because it is the only pillow that is fully customizable and can help you achieve correct posture in both the side and back sleeping positions.

A mattress that is too old or not supportive enough can lead to stress on the muscles and joints of the spine and legs and further exacerbate restless leg syndrome. Each individual responds differently to different styles of mattresses and that’s why experts agree that a hybrid mattress is best. A mattress that has cooling supportive foam on top with specific pocketed individualized coils on the bottom will allows you to sleep cool and comfortably and will provide optimal support while maintaining correct sleeping posture.

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