Restless legs - any advice

[millie1]

Well, restless arms & legs ... keeping me awake ... all night ... every night ... I count each hour as it ticks slowly by. Are there any homegrown remedies or does anyone know of anything I can try. Am desperate for sleep - if it's not the restless legs, it's a blocked nose waking me up. Yawn

All advice gratefully received! TIA

no advice i'm afraid but curious as have had restless legs for past week or so at night, how many weeks are you.

My sympathies Millie. You sound to have it far far wose than I do. It's an absolute PITA.

I've found that not letting myself get too tired before going to bed helps. Definitely more twitchy when overtired which can become a vicious cycle.

I also usually try that relaxing technique where you relax each bit of your body in turn, breathing out each time (ie relax your toes - exhale - relax the balls of your feet - exhale - relax your heels - exhale - relax your whole foot - exhale - relax your ankles - exhale - and so on until you reach the top of your head) - I can't say it solves everything, but I find it helps.

I find that the days I go for a vigorous walk it's much better. Must be circulation boost?

Twitchy ... yes that's a good description too ... I just can't stop moving. DH will divorce me if I keep him awake one more night .

I'm 26+3 and it's been really bad over the last couple of weeks. I read somewhere to drink tonic water but have an inkling that's for leg cramps rather than restlessness. Shall try the relaxation technique tonight BroccoliSpears. Oh I couldn't walk Turtle, although I'd love to. My bump is so big and sore - am expecting twins, measuring 32w in bump size, rectus muscle has split, other muscles hurt. Oh oh, self pity party for me

It's awful isn't it. It helps knowing you're not alone but boy do I need sleep.

Message withdrawn

Message withdrawn

you poor thing. I had resteless legs for all 4 of my pregnancies. Iron helps as it can sometimes be a sign you are aneamic, and doing side leg lifts till they ache blocks it. I still get restless legs now and its just horrible.
Some things work for a while then stop. With number 3 I took an anti-histamine prescribed by the doc which made me sleepy enough to get to sleep before it got too bad. Might be worth asking your GP.

Interesting about the iron NMC. I've recently been put on iron tablets - RLS has been a bit better recently, but I hadn't linked the two.

I was told it was calcium deficiency. I ate some sardines (very rich in calcium) and the restless legs were gone next day. Worth a try I'd say.

I get this even when I'm not pregnant. I'm 28 weeks and I have really been suffering with it badly for the past 4 weeks.

What has helped me is having a balanced snack (like a decent flapjack) not long before I go to bed, avoiding highly salted foods at dinner or after and sleeping with a large pillow between my legs (I sleep on my side).

Oh yes, have the blocked sinusey thing too - no way near as irritating as the jumpy appendages though .

Tonic water made my heartburn worse so never really got to try that one out properly.

Thanks everyone ... so the plan is extra pillows tonight, start taking my iron supplement every day and not just when I remember , sardines - not sure that I could stomach them and maybe a pre-bedtime snack though I usually eat an orange.

Oh restless legs are awful - I like to get up and walk about on a cold floor - dont know why that helps but it does! Also second staying away from salty snacks - restless legs always worse if I dont.

If you don't like sardines you could try a supplement, but don't take it with the iron as calcium blocks iron absorbtion