My greatest fear is hunger. (Let’s leave that for another day)
My 2nd greatest fear is lack of sleep.
I take after Fat Her so I really am the luckiest person in the world (next to Fat Her) when it comes to sleep.
No problems falling asleep at all!
I’ve fallen asleep standing up. While on a moving train wtf.
I’ve fallen asleep right when I was falling back on my bed so when my head hit the pillow, I woke myself up WTF.
Once a thief climbed into my backyard and the burglar alarm went off and the entire house woke up except me wtf.
Well no problems that is until now *thunder claps
In the past few months I’ve had a couple of weird incidents where I wasn’t able to fall asleep for hours.
And not because my mind was overactive and I was thinking too much. Because believe it or not wtf for all my ease sleeping I’ve had those nights before and I know what they feel like.
In both weird incidents I was horribly tired and sleepy. And there was nothing much on my mind either.
Nothing except …an incredibly irresistible urge. To kick my legs T________T
It was the fucking weirdest feeling ever! I felt like when I kept still, a strange electrical current (that’s the closest description to what it really felt like) would build up in my legs and I couldn’t stand it! The only way I could release that energy in my legs was by moving my legs and kicking it out T_______T
I even got up in the middle of the night to jump up and down hoping to fulfill some kind of leg moving quota so I could get to sleep T________T
And it really wasn’t because my mind was overworking!
Another time I got it I actually had the flu. So I was drugged up on cough syrup.
I was so groggy that I fell asleep right away …. but I kept waking up because I still had to move my legs. And I was so groggy that when I sat up in bed to try to rearrange my legs somehow, the room spun T____T
So I googled my symptoms.
And found there really is a disease! It’s called Restless Legs Syndrome WTF.
- There is a compelling urge to move the legs, usually accompanied or caused by uncomfortable and unpleasant sensations in the legs.
- The symptoms are partially or completely relieved by movement, as long as the movement continues.
- The urge to move is irresistible, and the only way to stop or partially relieve the sensations is to move around. However, the relief is not always complete and ends when the activity ends.
- The symptoms begin or worsen during periods of rest or inactivity, such as lying or sitting.
- The symptoms are worse or only occur in the evening and at night.
I have every single fucking symptom!!!
Exact cause unknown fml.
Although apparently it gets worse the older you get I love my life.
Anyway it’s happened twice, about a month between the incidents and from then it’s been more than a month and it hasn’t been happening since. So that’s optimistic.
But if it does I guess I’ll have to go see a doctor…
Or kill myself.
Kidding.
Comments (35)
haiyo u lucky girl already! i got it on and off and i tell u its not only the legs, the sensation is all over my body i just have to move everywhere like roll and roll every single minute for hours before i fall asleep!! sometimes damn tired also cant fall asleep. sometimes i couldnt even open my eyes yet still “wide awake”!
omgggggg.. so it’s a disease!!! i’ve been having it since forever and i thought i was weird cos i dont even know how to begin explaining my symptoms without sounding like a psycho. hmmmm. its so annoying laaaaa how to get rid of it? :(
hey I think I have it too. but also only once in a few months lidat la.
haha i’ve never heard of this disease
there’s a drug for parkinsons which is used to treat restless leg syndrome. pramipexole 0.088mg. also can treat bipolar disorder and sexual dysfunction. oh you also might lose weight and hallucinate wtf.
tell me if u want it so i can nick it for you in time for chinese new year!
hahah can u kick in bed will that help or does it have to be jumping around lol :p x
The only disease you have is Beautiful Legs Syndrome.
I think I have it too.. Not only the legs but the whole body. FOL.
lol, laine, jen, wendy: OMG you mean it’s such a common disease ah!!! why we all kena T____T
tze: my love you’re all right already /boo /boo
jay: ya kicking in bed helps but temporarily T_T
eric: HAHA have u seen my legs T_T
if only the shopping operate at midnite.. then u can shop and shop and shop
did i ever tell you about my grandma moving her legs at night and we saw the shadow and thought it was a ghost?!?!?!? maybe she had it too!! and there i was thinking she was just exercising at 2am in the morning wtf
You can strap a manual electric generator on, then you get free electricity to run the fan or your laptop la.
yea it sucks. i get it almost weekly & there’s no relief or rest until d feelings goes away.
raymond: ahhh good idea!!
sweatlee: haha ur poor grandma! but maybe she really wanted to exercise leh you know senior citizens love morning walks wtf
bob: HAHAHAHA I WAS DRINKING TEA WHEN I READ YOUR COMMENT AND SPIT IT OUT
RO: oh no! how do you deal with the sleepiness in the daytime 🙁
hahahah raymond’s comment
then you can power walk through the shops with your electrocharged legs hahahah
omg i have that too!
i never thought of google-ing it because i thought i was the only one to have this “urge”
so weird!
i dunno if it works for every1 but when i feel that, i wil wear this super tight skinny jeans of mine and then i would be okie
try it!
=)
Weird so many people have this LOL
so sad to hear that.. i hope you can seek some medical advice to avoid from getting worse.
my friend have hashimoto’s thyroiditis (i called it ajinomoto coz hard to pronounce). Also with no cure but just need to find ways to prevent escalation.
Maybe it’s time to exercise hehehehehe.
Don’t kill yourself, its a common thing actually. I have it as well. And I hate it 😀
I GET THIS ALL THE TIME. sometimes when i don’t move my legs to relieve the weird feeling, my legs will just twitch/jerk on its own. 🙁 i heard it occurs more often when you’re on your period.
“I’ve fallen asleep right when I was falling back on my bed so when my head hit the pillow, I woke myself up WTF.”
It’s so funny and so Audrey at the same time!!!
I think i just had it last night after reading this!!! i always wakeup in the middle of the night then have to move around on heater off heater go toilet, move around and plop back to sleep then turn summore T_T is it true the parkinsons meds help ar wtf
ME TOO OMG MINE IS WHOLE BODY. BEAT THAT!
ok so many people beateded me oredi wtf.
-____-”
I actually felt like that last night after i read the post.
maybe i am too concentrate on my legs already wtf
anyway! Get well soon ok =)
try magnesium. i’m a phd student doing research on parkinson’s (not pharmacology though)- so I may be wrong. more than half of my patients have RLS as well as PD.
I get so many anecdotal accounts of magnesium being very effective.
copid from RLS australia:
“Reports in 1945, from the Swedish study by Dr Karl Ekbom, stressed the importance of adequate iron levels in people with RLS. More recent research by Drs Richard Allen and Christopher Earley of John Hopkins University in the US has confirmed these findings. They have documented central iron deficiency in patients with RLS through MRI and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) studies. They suggest that since iron plays an important role in the processing of dopamine in the brain, then low iron might disable the dopamine system.
Further studies by Dr Connor Ph.D. at the Harvard Brain Tissue Resource Centre have revealed more about the iron / RLS connection. Their findings seem to be showing that there is an insufficiency of a specific receptor for iron transport … one that signals the RLS brain that it has enough iron, when in fact it has little or virtually no iron at all.
Studies have shown that a serum ferritin concentration, lower than 45 to 50 mcg/L, has been associated with increased severity of RLS. It is recommended that Vitamin C be taken with each dose of ferrous sulphate to enhance absorption and they should be taken about an hour before a meal or two hours after. You will need careful supervision by your doctor/ pharmacist whilst taking this supplement.
Magnesium too, is critical for the efficient functioning of the nervous system. This important mineral has been reported as an effective therapy for RLS in a small open-label trial. Many patients report benefits from taking this supplement.
Audrey,
There is Restless Leg Syndrome; (RLS)
Symptoms include:
By Mayo Clinic staff
Commonly described sensations
People typically describe restless legs syndrome (RLS) symptoms as unpleasant sensations in their calves, thighs, feet or arms, often expressed as:
Crawling
Tingling
Cramping
Creeping
Pulling
Painful
Electric
Tense
Uncomfortable
Itchy
Tugging
From: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/restless-legs-syndrome/DS00191/DSECTION=symptoms
Some life style choice affect restless legs, and here are some changes one can control:
Take pain relievers. For very mild symptoms, taking an over-the-counter pain reliever such as ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin, others) when symptoms begin may relieve the twitching and the sensations.
Try baths and massages. Soaking in a warm bath and massaging your legs can relax your muscles.
Apply warm or cool packs. You may find that the use of heat or cold, or alternating use of the two, lessens the sensations in your limbs.
Try relaxation techniques, such as meditation or yoga. Stress can aggravate RLS. Learn to relax, especially before going to bed at night.
Establish good sleep hygiene. Fatigue tends to worsen symptoms of RLS, so it’s important that you practice good sleep hygiene. Ideally, sleep hygiene involves having a cool, quiet and comfortable sleeping environment,
Exercise. Getting moderate, regular exercise may relieve symptoms of RLS, but overdoing it at the gym or working out too late in the day may intensify symptoms.
Avoid caffeine. Sometimes cutting back on caffeine may help restless legs. It’s worth trying to avoid caffeine-containing products, including chocolate and caffeinated beverages such as coffee, tea and soft drinks, for a few weeks to see if this helps.
Cut back on alcohol and tobacco. These substances also may aggravate or trigger symptoms of RLS. Test to see whether avoiding them helps.
Stay mentally alert in the evening. Boredom and drowsiness before bedtime may worsen RLS. Mentally stimulating activities such as video games or crossword puzzles can help you stay alert and may reduce symptoms of RLS.
I hope this is useful for you.
David
Aud,
Best tip, no killing yourself!
Please…we would truly miss you!
;-(
David
Just take Dormicum and Xanax with a healthy amount of alcohol to knock yourself out every night. !hi
You can try magnesium supplements… i read somewhere that it helps with restless leg syndrome. otherwise some food with high magnesium content? hope it helps. take care!
I have this too… for long long time till now…
I used to massage my legs before I sleep… it help.
But after I picked up yoga and exercise, no more…I seldom face it anymore
Unfortunately I just back from my London trip… I’m suffering again… 🙁 due to long hours flight!!
Never know this is a disease till I read your blog :(….
Interesting read – so that’s what it’s called!
For me, caffeine triggers this – so no tea/coffee/coke for me after lunch. Otherwise it’s *I’m so tired and in need of sleep but somehow I feel like kicking my legs or have a good run – not that I can run*.
So iron deficiency is also another trigger? Good thing iron-rich spinach is one of the 3 veggies our kids can agree on eating (the popeye phenomena is a life saver!). Easier to cook what they’ll eat.
So did u find out what the trigger is?