What are leg cramps during the night?
Usually, nighttime (or nighttime) leg cramps are sudden spasms, or tension, of the calf muscles. But muscle cramps can sometimes happen in the thigh or foot. They often occur just when you are falling asleep or when you are waking up. These painful muscle cramps can last from a few seconds to a few minutes.
These leg cramps are also known in English as "charley horses".
What causes leg cramps during the night?
Although nighttime leg cramps are common, experts don't know exactly what causes them. However, most of the time they are not due to a disease.
Some things that could cause leg cramps include:
- Too much exercise or overuse the muscles.
- Standing on concrete for a long time, sitting for a long time or putting your legs in strange positions while sleeping.
- Not having enough potassium, calcium and other minerals in the blood.
- Being dehydrated, which means that the body has lost too much fluid.
- Take certain medications, such as antipsychotics, birth control pills, diuretics, statins and steroids.
- Have flat feet.
- Having thyroid disease
How can you stop a leg cramp at night when it happens?
You may have to try several different ways to stop a leg cramp before you find what works best for you. Here are some things you can try:
- Walk or move the legs.
- Stretch the calf muscles. You can perform this stretch sitting or standing:
- Sitting, stretch your leg and flex your foot up, toward the knee. It may help to place a rolled towel under the forefoot and, while holding the towel at both ends, gently pull the towel in your direction while keeping your knee stretched.
- Standing about 2 feet (0.6 m) from a wall, lean forward, against the wall. Keep the knee of the affected leg stretched and the heel on the floor. Do this while bending the knee of the other leg.
- These exercises stretch the calf muscles and you will probably feel that the leg cramp disappears after a few minutes.
- Some people are helped by a hot shower or a warm bath. Others experience relief when they rub the calf with an ice pack.
How can you prevent them?
Use these tips to help prevent leg cramps at night:
- Drink plenty of water and other liquids during the day.
- Limit or avoid drinks with alcohol or caffeine. These can cause you to become dehydrated, which means that the body has lost too much fluid.
- Make sure you are eating healthy foods (especially if you are pregnant) that are rich in calcium, potassium and magnesium.
- Ride a stationary bike to condition and stretch the muscles.
- Stretch your leg muscles for a few minutes before going to sleep.
If you are taking medications that are known to cause leg cramps, your doctor may prescribe different medications.
If your leg cramps cause you a lot of discomfort, your doctor may prescribe medications that calm the nerves in your leg or relax your muscles.
What happens if nighttime leg cramps keep coming back?
Talk to your doctor if you have muscle cramps that keep coming back, that are intense, or that occur in other body muscles. These could be symptoms of another problem.
