As much as our healthcare professionals know about the countless disease and illnesses that can significantly affect us, there is still plenty of knowledge they haven’t yet obtained. This is especially the case with restless leg syndrome (RLS).
According to WebMD, roughly ten percent of all people will experience RLS at some point in their lifetime, prompting them to seek a modern solution like a weighted blanket for restless leg syndrome. Considering there’s so much unknown about RLS, many doctors might not recognize the issue at all depending on the patient.
In fact, most doctors won’t bother with the issue entirely since it poses no actual death or severe health complication. Still, if you’re experiencing RLS or someone you know is, you’re aware of how awful a syndrome it can be to experience.
As a result, it’s always best for people to be aware of everything related to the subject and try and treat the situation themselves. Since there isn’t any specific treatment or medicine to help it, it can be very subjective depending on the person.
“Restless legs syndrome affects up to 10% of people in the U.S. Anyone can get it, but it’s more common in women, and middle-aged people are more likely to have severe symptoms. Sometimes, doctors don’t recognize RLS, especially if symptoms are mild or don’t happen often.”
Nevertheless, do you feel you’re suffering from RLS, or know someone is? Do you worry about how RLS can worsen and don’t know what you can to fix it? Well, look no further, don’t below we’re going to discuss what it is, symptoms of it, and how you can treat it. Let’s take a look!
The information on Namaste Blankets is intended to be used as guidelines. Do not replace our advice with a registered health professional or therapist’s advice. It’s best to consult with your healthcare professional for serious inquiries.
Last update on 2023-03-21 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
What is Restless Leg Syndrome?
RLS is a condition described as the sudden urge to move your legs, to the point that it becomes irresistible to move. Depending on the person, RLS can vary in how severe it is. Still, some people are more likely to experience it than others.
Elderly people and women are generally more common to get RLS, but this isn’t to say young men are immune to it. RLS can happen to anyone, thus why it’s essential to try and understand what it is, why it happens, and what you can do about it.
The actual need to move your legs generally happens when you lay down or are sitting still. Most people with RLS will frequently shake their legs while sitting to help alleviate the need to move their legs. Whereas others will look to running and various other forms of exercise to tire the need out.
However, some people might only experience RLS in waves, meaning some days they won’t experience it at all, while other days it’ll happen to them all day. It’s a very odd syndrome, and the only evidence available links it to a nervous system disorder. Most doctors tend to cite it as a sleeping disorder since it typically happens at night.
Symptoms of Restless Leg Syndrome
If you or someone you know fears they have RLS, the best idea for you or that person is to read about the symptoms associated with it. Keep in mind that there tend to be many symptoms with this specific syndrome, meaning it can be a bit challenging to see if you have it.
On top of that, doctors have difficulty diagnosing the issue, while many other doctors don’t feel like it’s worth their time since they have more pressing matters to attend to. Still, it’s clearly a severe syndrome that should be taken seriously, and any good doctor will do that.
Here are a few common symptoms of RLS:
Last update on 2023-03-21 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Uncontrollable Urge to Move Legs
The most common sign of RLS is the uncontrollable urge to move your legs. It’s typically a conscious thought where you’re physically unwell if you can’t move your legs. Thus, why so many move their legs so heavily in this area.
Uncomfortable Tingling and Burning
Part of the reason people have an uncontrollable urge to move their legs is primarily connected to the tingling and burning they feel in their legs from it. Tingling and burning are the causes for you to move your legs and can be quite painful.
Nighttime Leg Twitching
Like tingling and burning, your legs might frequently twitch, meaning you can’t calm your legs down. Usually, people don’t experience random twitching in their legs, and any issues in this realm can be due to RLS.
Symptoms Worsen at Night
Several doctors often highlight RLS as a sleeping disorder since it’s common for the issues to occur at night. As a result, be aware of your symptoms worsening at night and if it’s more common for you to experience them in the later hours.
Relief with Movement
If you’re walking or running and don’t find any issues with your legs in this realm, expect that to be a clear sign of RLS. Other injuries will prevent you from walking or running, but if you’re able to do it and feel fine, the pain from sitting still might be a sign of RLS.
Sensations that Begin After Waking
If you have odd sensations in your legs after walking, this has to do with RLS a lot of the time. Keep in mind that it can be a sign of your body waking up and having nothing to do with RLS, but it’s worth being mindful of either way.
Symptoms Can’t Be Explained by Another Condition
One of the best ways to figure out if you have RLS is by going to the doctor and getting checked if something else is wrong. Oftentimes, physical injuries or stress can explain the reason why your legs are acting in such away. However, if there doesn’t seem to be an explanation, it can result from RLS.
Difficulty Sleeping
Part of the reason people seek out weighted blankets for restless leg syndrome has to do with their difficulty trying to sleep. Sleep is essential, and not getting enough of it can lead to further health issues.
Treatment for Restless Leg Syndrome
Some of you may be wondering, are weighted blankets good for restless leg syndrome? To answer this question, yes, weighted blankets are great for RLS, and we’ll discuss why later. Let’s discuss a few other standard treatments for RLS:
Eliminate Caffeine
Caffeine can cause all sorts of weird side effects on the body, and drinking too much of it has been shown to be a negative on the body. Consider eliminating caffeine if you’re a caffeine drinker and see how it helps your body.
Physical Exercise
Physical exercise tends to be the best thing a person can do to fix their RLS, so get outside and try exercising. If it’s cold where you are, try exercising indoors and see how it’ll work for your RLS.
Eliminate Smoking
Similar to caffeine, but even more of a negative effect is smoking. If you’re a smoker, you should know better by now to quit, but treating your RLS can further point you to rid of the bad habit of smoking.
Relaxation Techniques
If you’re stressed or anxious, consider using a few relaxation techniques such as meditating or doing what you can to relax. Relaxation can be a significant benefit besides treating RLS, so do what you can to help it.
Massage
Since you’re having pain in your legs, you can easily assume that a massage would be beneficial. Plus, a weighted blanket for restless leg syndrome has been shown to massage the body in a sense through its deep pressure technology, so try it out!
Last update on 2023-03-21 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
What is a Weighted Blanket?
A weighted blanket is a blanket made with an additional weight made from sand, pellets, glass beads, and much more. Most tend to cite glass beads as the best weight-wise, and the actual functionality of a weighted blanket works just like a standard blanket.
How do Weighted Blankets Work?
Is a weighted blanket good for restless leg syndrome, you might ask? Before we discuss the matter, let’s go over how they work so you can treat it. Functionality-wise, it works like a blanket, but because it has added weight to it, it gives a sense of deep pressure to the body. It calms a person down, makes them feel more relaxed and calmer, allowing a ton of benefits.
Can Weighted Blankets Help with Restless Leg Syndrome?
Now we’re finally here and can discuss the answer to, do weighted blankets work for restless leg syndrome? If you’ve been wondering this, the answer is. Weighted blankets trick the legs and body into thinking they’re sleeping in a sense, allowing a total amount of relaxation.
How to Choose the Right Size and Weight
If you’re hoping to find a weighted blanket of your own, you need to determine the right size and weight. Be sure to find one that covers your body and is roughly ten percent of your body weight. For example, if you weigh 120 pounds, you should seek out a weighted blanket that weighs 12 pounds.
Conclusion
Hopefully, this in-depth look at RLS and a discussion on a weighted blanket for restless leg syndrome was useful and insightful for you to note down. Be sure to take a closer examination at everything presented in this article and do what you can to help deal with RLS.
For those who suffer from restless leg syndrome, getting a good night’s sleep can be difficult. The tingly sensations that annoy during the day become even more problematic when trying to go to sleep. This is where the Namaste weighted blanket for restless legs syndrome comes into play.