My 53rd birthday is tomorrow and I've had RLS my whole life. I thought everybody had it. Four out of my five siblings have RLS. It explains a lot of my life that I didn't realize until only the last few years. I used to drink alcohol to go to sleep sometimes. It's kind of coupled to insomnia and nearly cost me a job or so sleepy I could've had a car accident. What helps me sleep is listening to CBS radio mystery theater online. I can close my eyes and listen to the story and fall asleep. Music and TV don't work for me. Tried Ambien for two years at quadruple the recommended dose and I still feel sleepy during the day but it did knock me out. RLS does make me want to run or walk to help relieve the symptoms so it does have a side benefit for me.
I buy a book on Audible and listen to it through my mini iPad. That gets me off to sleep, you can put a timer on, so the story stops after half hour, by then I’m usually asleep. I do wake with jumpy legs usually after a couple of hours. I run the cold tap in small basin in bathroom, lift leg put my foot in and splash up my leg, I also lift leg bent and put knee in and splash my leg. I do this to both legs, first running water till it runs real cold. It shocks my legs, they really jump when I first put foot in. I do think RLS and jumpy legs are linked to brain and nerves in legs. This sounds weard, but also after drying legs sit down, if you lift each leg holding under the knee with other hand and very gently stroke toes and foot, if there are still nerves effected the nerve will spasm.
Do this untill no jerky effects in either foot. Yea sounds weard but both these work for me. The water first then, stopping the nerve effects.
Maureen
I have found relief taking natural iron water everyday and keeping my levels topped up. I'm almost certain there's a link . I've always been slightly anaemic and pregnancy made me very very anaemic and that's the first time I suffered RLS - Terrible every evening . I now take Spatone natural iron water daily and only occasionally suffer with RLS.