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Restless leg syndrome (RLS) is a disorder of the nervous system that involves throbbing, pulling, creeping or other unpleasant sensations in the legs and causes an uncontrollable and overwhelming urge to move them. These feelings occur when the person is resting, mostly in the evenings and during sleep, and will usually go away when people move their legs.

RLS affects people of all ages, most being middle aged. Many pregnant women experience RLS, but it usually goes away after the baby is born. Most people with this disorder have serious sleep problems and are tired and have trouble paying attention.

RLS can be genetic, which is why it tends to run in families. It can also be related to other medical issues which can include kidney disease, low iron levels, anemia, high blood pressure, heart disease and diabetes.

Many people with severe cases of RLS get less than five hours of sleep per night which can cause excessive sleepiness during the daytime and affect your personal and professional life.

There are many home remedies you can make that are designed to help combat this problem.

– Walking around may be the only thing that helps RLS. A midnight stroll through the house may calm your legs enough to keep them still when you go back to bed.
– Coffee, tea, chocolate sodas and even over-the-counter (OTC) medications may contain caffeine. Cutting your consumption of these may help improve your condition.
– A warm bath or massage before bed relaxes muscles and therefore may be helpful.
– Try stretching your calves, hamstrings and gluteal muscles before bed.

If you still have twitching legs after you’ve tried these tips, talk to your doctor about getting a medical evaluation.