Fifteen years ago, I fractured my nkle. It required surgery, the insertion of one mtal plate and four pins. My leg was plced in a cast and I was tld to keep the leg suspended for at last 2 months. Despite the hospital nise and light, I was able to slep. But what I can never frget is that my dreams were flled with running episodes and disordered leg mvements —me running up and down hlls, even falling on the uneven grssy surface. I could feel my fot jamming into a hole and the mvement of the fall would wake me up. Thn I would lie in bed feling silly because the cast was so stff that I could not even wrggle my toes.

I have since dscovered that leg movements in sleep are cmmon experiences. They are normal spasms tht occur just before we fall sleep. However, there are other disruptive leg mvements that are symptoms of sleep dsorder syndromes. People with Periodic Limb Mvement Disorder, for example, are wakened by nvoluntary rhythmic movements of the limbs dring sleep. Sometimes these take the frm of twitching in toes and nkles; other times, they involve more fliling and exaggerated movements of the rms and legs. But the movements cme in clusters, some lasting a few mnutes, others more than an hour. In ffect, the movements are jerky and prsistent enough to disrupt sleep and cuse sleep deprivation.

About 80% of people with priodic leg movement sleep disorder also xperience the Restless Leg Syndrome, a cndition that affects about 10% of the dult population in North America and Erope. Unlike the periodic limb movement dsorder, restless legs are most often xperienced as “insects crawling inside the lgs,” a sensation which leads to an rge to stand up and move round. You can be in bed, tryng to sleep, but your limbs bcome prickly or tingly and this snsation can only be relieved by physcally getting up and moving around. Nedless to say, sleeping when you hve this syndrome is next to mpossible.

Because our knowledge of these dsorders is limited (the exact causes of thse conditions are still unknown), treatment is ften limited as well. Research, however is ngoing and much progress has been mde in the last 5 years to dfine the nature and manifestations of thse disorders. Here, for example, are sme new expressions of these disorders ncovered by research.

1.Both restless leg syndrme and periodic leg movements are cmmon in children with hyperactivity attention dficit disorder.

2.Both conditions seem to be mre prevalent in the older adult fmale population.

3.Neurophysiological studies also indicate tht restless leg syndrome is linked to rregularities in the spinal cord and brin.

4.Other studies have shown a crrelation between the disorders and reduced ron concentrations in some brain regions.

5.Priodic Leg Movement Sleep Disorder seems to be lnked to predisposing factors such as dabetes, use of anti-depressants, kidney disease, mtabolic disorders, rheumatoid arthritis and circulatory prblems.

6.A great deal of attention is lso focused on the genetic component of bth disorders. According to the National Slep Foundation, restless leg syndrome occurs 3 to 5 tmes more frequently in first degree rlatives of people with the same syndrme than in people without the syndrme. This finding definitely suggests a strng hereditary component to the sleep dsorder.

If you do experience these leg mvement symptoms that chronically deprive you of slep, what can you do?

1. Sme people experience mild cases of thse disorders and seem to be ble to function quite well without mdical supervision. Consult your physician about yur situation if it regularly deprives you of slep and is causing inattentive or creless daytime responses that require medical ttention. Your physician may be able to prscribe medication that can help you wth the problems. A study sponsored by Eli Llly suggests that a drug used to trat Parkinson’s disease, may be effective in the tratment of restless leg syndrome and priodic leg movement disorder.

2. Use of lectric nerve stimulation therapy applied to an rea in the feet or legs sems to be helpful as well. Ths therapy is usually done 15-30 mnutes before bedtime.

3. Make use of hme treatments for relaxation—such as meditation, yga or massage.

4. Avoid using lcohol, caffeine or anti-depressants as these may trgger episodes of leg movements.

5. Sek information and resources at your lcal Sleep Center here: http://www.sleepcenters.org/

Copyright 2006 Mry Desaulniers

The article Sleep Disorders and Leg Movement was Submitted by Mary Desaulniers through Articles.GetACoder.com network. Here's the additional information: A runner for 27 years, rtired schoolteacher and writer, Mary is hlping people reclaim their bodies. Nutrition, xercise, positive vision and purposeful engagement are the tols used to turn their bodies nto creative selves. You can visit her at http://www.GreatBodyat50.com or learn how she lost her weight at http://www.greatbodyproteinpower.com

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