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Tips for Better Sleep for

RLS Sufferers
Medically reviewed by George Krucik, MD,
MBA — By Erica Manfred — Updated on
January 24, 2018

The effects of RLS often extend well beyond

the acute sensations in a patient’s limbs. When
dealing with prolonged attacks, sufferers are
often robbed of a full night’s sleep. When
researching tips for better sleep, people with
RLS will likely encounter a wealth of
information and advice about insomnia—but
what works for insomnia may not work for
RLS.The following tricks and tips from doctors
and RLS patients can help you get more
beauty rest.
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Tips from doctors and patients:

Take a hot bath with two cups of Epsom

salts, which contains magnesium.
Soaking magnesium into your muscles
before bed will relax them, according to
Dr. Jacob Teitlebaum, author of From
Fatigued to Fantastic.

Eat a protein snack before bedtime, such

as a hard-boiled egg, a bit of chicken, or
meat to keep your blood sugar stable.
Low blood sugar is a trigger for RLS, and
protein stabilizes it, says Dr. Teitlebaum.
Avoid carbohydrates or sweets before
bedtime, which cause a spike and then a
crash in blood sugar.

Take the amino acid L-tryptophan, which

Dr. Teitelbaum says some reports have
suggested works as a sleep aid for RLS.
Or try the related compound, 5-HTP, a
natural sleep aid, as it’s hard to get L-
tryptophan without a prescription.

Check your over-the-counter and

prescription medications. Antihistamines
and anti-nausea compounds can make
RLS worse, according to Dr. Michael
Sellman, Chief of Neurology at Mercy
Medical Center in Baltimore. So can
drugs used to treat high blood pressure,
heart conditions, colds, allergies, and
depression.

Drink a lot of water and eat bananas.

Administrative assistant Carol Zepko, 68,
from Virginia has had RLS since high
school and says that dehydration and low
potassium trigger her RLS. When she was
put on a diuretic for high blood pressure
it became much worse.

Elevate your legs, keep the temperature

cool in the room, and do deep-breathing
exercises. Fitness expert and RLS
sufferer Jolene Matthews, 35, uses these
strategies instead of taking medication.

Take Restful Leg, a homeopathic remedy.

Debi Goldben, 53, a marketing manager
from Ocala, Florida, who’s had RLS for
eight years, swears it changed her life. “I
took several doses a day for a couple of
months and was then able to reduce it to
once a day, just before bed. For the past
three years I take it only when I need it.”

Get tested for sleep apnea if you’re over

40 and overweight. Robert Kravath, 48,
found that his RLS mostly disappeared
when he started CPAP therapy for sleep
apnea.

Do a calf stretch. Angela Boeke, a 47-

year-old exercise instructor, says, “Get
out of bed when your legs feel restless
and stretch your calves, then the bottom
of your feet by kneeling with your hands
in front and your toes turned under.
Slowly raise your hands to your thighs
and lengthen your spine over your sit
bones.”

Focus on something creative. Virginia

Cantorella, a 78-year-old artist, gets up
and paints when RLS is bothering her.
That stops her symptoms, at least
temporarily.

Use a leg-raising pillow. Dee Delezene

Browers, RLSsufferer and Director of
Volunteers for the U.S. Pain Foundation,
says,“They usually sell them in
orthopedic catalogs; I got mine at an
orthopedic doctor’s clinic. It is about 12
inches tall, very rigid foam that allows
your legs to sit on top raised while
sleeping.”
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Other tips:

Avoid alcohol and caffeine.

Change your temperature. Sometimes a

switch from hot to cold or vice versa can
help. Try alternating warm and cold
packs.

Exercise—but not too much. Exercise to

fatigue your muscles is helpful, but too
much exercise may trigger your RLS, says
Margaret Fieland, who has had RLS for 15
years.

Take pain relievers. Over-the-counter

pain relievers such as Motrin or Tylenol
may help if you have mild symptoms.

Put a bar of soap under the sheets. For

unknown reasons, this strange home
remedy seems to work for many people
who have RLS.

Keep a sleep diary to identify your

triggers. You can find one on the Restless
Leg Foundation website, www.rls.org.
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Last medically reviewed on July 1, 2012

How we reviewed this article:

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