What causes my legs to kick while sleeping?

Restless legs syndrome (RLS), also called Willis-Ekbom Disease, causes unpleasant or uncomfortable sensations in the legs and an irresistible urge to move them. Symptoms commonly occur in the late afternoon or evening hours, and are often most severe at night when a person is resting, such as sitting or lying in bed.

Why do I kick so much when I sleep?

REM behavior disorder is a sleep disorder characterized by intense physical activity during REM sleep. People who experience REM sleep disorder may kick, punch, hit, grab, talk, yell, or leap out of bed while REM sleep is occurring, sometimes injuring themselves or their bed partner.

How do I stop my legs from jerking at night?

The following tips will help you find quick relief:

1. Get up and walk around.
2. Distract yourself with a game or activity.
3. Apply hot or cold packs to your legs.
4. Try calf stretches, yoga poses, knee bends, or a simple ankle or foot rotation.
5. Relax your muscles with massage or a hot bath.

What does thrashing in your sleep mean?

Rapid eye movement (REM) sleep behavior disorder is a sleep disorder in which you physically act out vivid, often unpleasant dreams with vocal sounds and sudden, often violent arm and leg movements during REM sleep — sometimes called dream-enacting behavior.

What medications aggravate restless leg syndrome?

The following medications have been known to cause or exacerbate the symptoms of RLS:

• Antidopaminergic medications (eg, neuroleptics)
• Diphenhydramine.
• Tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs)
• Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs)
• Serotonin-norepinepherine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs)
• Alcohol.
• Caffeine.
• Lithium.

How do I stop thrashing in my sleep?

There are many reasons for tossing and turning at night, including poor sleep hygiene, an unbalanced diet, and even underlying medical conditions. Practicing good sleep hygiene, such as turning off electronics and keeping a consistent sleep schedule, can help you stop tossing and turning so much at night.

Why do legs twitch at night?

If nerve cells become damaged, the amount of dopamine in the brain is reduced, which causes muscle spasms and involuntary movements. Dopamine levels naturally fall towards the end of the day, which may explain why the symptoms of restless legs syndrome are often worse in the evening and during the night.