Leg cramps in the middle of the night are a painful thing, and severe cramps can cause people to wake up directly from sleep. They can last for seconds or even minutes. And it contracts uncontrollably and has difficulty immediately relaxing. Leg cramps are the most common, although cramps can occur in some parts of the body. According to a report by American family doctors, as many as 60% of adults experience leg cramps at midnight, resulting in disrupted sleep.
Leg cramps are usually normal, and the seven most common causes of leg cramps include:
Tired legs.
Muscle fatigue is the main reason. Most of the time, people do some activities that make muscles tense, such as running and climbing mountains. When the muscles are over-exercised, it is easier for the lower leg to cramp at night.
Sitting for a long time.
Workers who wear high-heeled shoes for a long time and work at a desk will not get proper leg extension for a long time, and the length and toughness of leg muscles and tendons will be gradually shortened, which may lead to leg cramps at night.
Be pregnant.
We often hear that pregnant women often cramp in the middle of the night. That is, the baby’s weight gradually increases as it grows day by day, and when the pregnant woman walks or sits, it causes more pressure on her legs, thus prone to cramps.
Wrong sleeping position.
When sleeping, pressing one leg on the other or crossing your legs will restrict the blood flow, and keeping this position for a long time will also lead to cramps.
Be short of water.
Drinking insufficient water in one day will easily lead to water shortage, which will lead to muscle weakness and cramps. If the body is adequately hydrated, the colour of urine will be clear or pale yellow. If it is dark yellow, it means you don’t drink enough water.
Cold weather.
If you sleep in an air-conditioned room or forget to keep your legs warm in cold weather, once your muscles feel cold air, it will cause them to contract and the number of leg cramps will increase.
Medicines.
If you have cramps in the middle of the night, you can check to see if you are taking drugs with high blood pressure, steroids, anaemia and antidepressants, all of which are caused by the side effects of drugs. If it affects your life, you can discuss the adjustment of drugs with your doctor.
If you wake up from cramps, you can try to relieve them in these ways. At the onset of cramps, gently open the cramped leg muscles with both hands to relieve muscle spasms. Another commonly used method is to get up from the bed immediately, extend the cramped leg straight forward, point the heel to the ground, and lift the instep as far as possible so that the cramped muscles will be relieved in a short time. If you can’t stand up, you can also relax in bed. Straighten your legs, grab your toes with your hands, and then pull in the instep direction.
To prevent leg cramps in the middle of the night, you can drink enough water during the day and walk as far as possible to avoid staying in the same position for too long. In addition, massaging the leg muscles before going to bed can also relieve the tight muscles. Once your sleep and daily life are affected by too many cramps, you’d better seek medical advice as soon as possible.
