How I manage my RLS - Restless Legs Syndrome

posted by sacah on Jan 20, 2010 medical,

Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS) is what my GP said I have, when I lay down to sleep at night I am hindered from actually getting to sleep for 2-4hrs by my legs building up a sensation and I have to move them to rid the sensation. Once moved the sensation will build again in a matter of seconds.
At times that I am tired of an evening and sitting down sometimes I will get the same sensation, but not very often.

Here is my plan for going to bed:
Wait until I'm tired usually by doing an activity that requires minimal thought. I'll then have a shower just to stand under the water for a few minutes. Then I hope into bed and try to goto sleep, most times my legs, occasionally my elbows will get the sensation, I then get up and do some stretched of my legs and some jogging on the spot for a few minutes and go back to bed.
Sometimes I can get to sleep from here, and if it's not too late, or I'm not required to get up early the next day I repeat this process until I get to sleep.

If I need to get up early the next day and require sleep, I'll take 2 nurofen tablets with 2 vitamin C tablets, not sure why, just 2 nurofen tablets work most times, but not always, taking it with vitamin C has given a much higher success rate.
I'll stand by the bench after I've taken the tablet and maybe eat a few crackers for a couple of minutes, then have another quick shower to stand under the water, then back to bed.

Nurofen has a warning about not taking repeatable for more than a few days in a row, so I try and break up using this technique with the stretching and shower system in alternating nights. If after 45min-1hr I can't get to sleep I'll get up and make some toast, maybe watch 15min of TV, then back to bed to try again.

Hope this helps others, let me know how you go.