| You just sit back to relax for the evening and it starts. | | | | just RLS. There's a strong connection between RLS |
| It feels a bit like snakes crawling up and down inside | | | | and depression, although scientists don't yet fully |
| your calves. Or maybe like someone has tied your | | | | understand the link. What they do know is that |
| muscles into knots. | | | | antidepressant drugs usually make RLS worse. |
| The only relief you can get from these uncomfortable | | | | There are prescription drugs that can help relieve |
| feelings is to move your legs. | | | | restless leg symptoms, but I recommend you try |
| It gets even worse when you try to sleep, disrupting | | | | natural treatments first. |
| your rest on and off all night long. | | | | Some people notice that alcohol, caffeine, and smoking |
| Restless leg syndrome affects as many as 12 million | | | | can trigger symptoms. Keep a journal for a couple |
| people in the country. It's a condition that can leave you | | | | weeks of your alcohol and caffeine consumption and |
| feeling tired and irritable from a lack of restful sleep. It | | | | the number of cigarettes you smoke (if you smoke). |
| can make you feel like you're going out of your | | | | Look for a relationship between these things and the |
| mind-though, I assure you, you're not. | | | | frequency and severity of your symptoms. This can |
| It can also have more serious health consequences. | | | | help you to make adjustments to your behaviors and |
| There is a link between RLS and heart disease. | | | | may help to control your symptoms. |
| People who experience RLS symptoms every night | | | | There is not yet a lot of research available on the |
| are more likely to develop heart disease than those | | | | affects of supplements on restless leg syndrome, but |
| who do not have RLS. Researchers balanced their | | | | these three supplements may help. |
| results for many other possible factors, but the link | | | | The first is folate. Research has discovered that low |
| between RLS and heart disease remained strong. 1 | | | | folate levels in pregnant women can contribute to |
| Other research shows that RLS can lower your | | | | restless leg syndrome. This research demonstrates |
| quality of life as much as other chronic conditions like | | | | that an increase of a folate supplement can improve |
| chronic fatigue syndrome, for example. 2 | | | | neurological and might help with restless leg. 3 I |
| Figure Out the Cause First to get the Best Results | | | | recommend that you take a 400 microgram |
| from Treatment | | | | supplement of folic acid each day. |
| In some cases, restless leg syndrome just starts with | | | | Magnesium and zinc may also help. Your body needs |
| no reason at all. This is usually considered to be a | | | | magnesium to promote proper nerve function. It uses |
| neurological movement disorder. | | | | zinc in many of its cellular functions. Men need around |
| Typical symptoms include an uncomfortable or even | | | | 400 mg of magnesium a day, and women need |
| painful feeling in your legs. The feelings of discomfort | | | | around 300 mg. I recommend 30 mg of zinc a day. It's |
| intensify at night or when you are inactive. Moving the | | | | a good idea to combine your zinc intake with 2 mg of |
| legs relieves the discomfort, at least temporarily. | | | | copper to prevent copper deficiencies. |
| If these symptoms are familiar, then a good first step | | | | Restless leg syndrome is a real condition that can |
| is to work with your doctor to determine if they're | | | | leave you feeling tired and makes you vulnerable to |
| caused by something else. Kidney disease or low iron | | | | depression and heart disease. While the disease is not |
| levels both are known to cause restless leg syndrome. | | | | yet fully understood, it may be caused by deficiencies |
| If you have one of these conditions, treating it will also | | | | in important nutrients. Try these supplements first |
| relieve your restless leg symptoms. | | | | before taking a prescription. These nutrients may be |
| For many people there is not a clear cause behind | | | | just what your body needs to quiet your legs so you |
| RLS. If this is the case, you are in danger of more than | | | | can get a good night's rest. |