Periodic Limb Movement Disorder, like Restless Leg Syndrome only less severe. Apparently.

Message Bookmarked

Bookmark Removed

I'm at the end of my tether - my partner is suffering from this condition, his legs go tense then jump every 40 seconds or so when he is sleeping. He only wakes up if it is a particularly severe 'twitch' - otherwise it isn't affecting him at all, but it is disrupting my sleep and forcing me to get up and move to the couch most nights.

It's starting to drive a wedge between us, a bit like severe snoring would. I've read up on this on the 'net but the only apparent cures, which rarely work according to stats are - cut down on nicotine, cut down on caffiene, cut down on alcohol and take more exercise.

My partner has cut down his nicotine intake considerably, hardly takes any caffiene and only really has a few drinks at the weekend. He has quite an active job. I'm really at my wits end and I guess what I want is a quick fix.

Does anyone suffer from this condition, or could anyone help with suggestions of any herbal remedies which may assist?

― Rumpy Pumpkin (rumpypumpkin), Tuesday, 28 September 2004 15:09 (twenty-one years ago)

I had something like this for a bit ... psychological, they thought.
Depressed or anxious about something?
Is Restless Leg Syndrome that furious leg tapping thing all my male friends and I used to do in college? Sublimated libido or something?

― Loose Translation: Sexy Dancer (sexyDancer), Tuesday, 28 September 2004 15:21 (twenty-one years ago)

I think I still have restless leg syndrome. My leg is bouncing up and down right now. It could be the caffeine though.

― o. nate (onate), Tuesday, 28 September 2004 15:25 (twenty-one years ago)

Dylan does it like crazy in "Don't Look Back"

― Loose Translation: Sexy Dancer (sexyDancer), Tuesday, 28 September 2004 15:26 (twenty-one years ago)

Yeah, RLS affects you during the day as well, it's more of a compulsion to be moving your legs. God knows what this twitching is all about though, he's mega laid back but it's been getting progressively worse as the months go on.

Worst thing is, he's totally oblivious, I'm waking up like a half shut knife in the morning and he's all perky and raring to go. I guess it's something you would only be aware of if a partner told you it was happening.

― Rumpy Pumpkin (rumpypumpkin), Tuesday, 28 September 2004 15:29 (twenty-one years ago)

Maybe he's an undiagnosed drummer.

― Jordan (Jordan), Tuesday, 28 September 2004 15:30 (twenty-one years ago)

What about some kind of deep meditation or hypnosis? Might that help?

― Penelope_111 (Penelope_111), Tuesday, 28 September 2004 15:31 (twenty-one years ago)

x-post

haha

Does he also go slack-jawed? Does he have the last pick of the groupies?

― Ain't That Peculiar (kenan), Tuesday, 28 September 2004 15:32 (twenty-one years ago)

Have you considerd bondage? (Especially if he turns out to really be a drummer.)

― Michael White (Hereward), Tuesday, 28 September 2004 15:32 (twenty-one years ago)

Do many drummers drumb with their feet? I don't think this is the problem....

I don't think he's got the attention span neccesary for meditation, hypnosis, God that would be a last resort.

And I have considered bondage. Taping his legs to the bed.

― Rumpy Pumpkin (rumpypumpkin), Tuesday, 28 September 2004 15:34 (twenty-one years ago)

they call they kick-drums for a reason...
wear him out with tennis?

― Loose Translation: Sexy Dancer (sexyDancer), Tuesday, 28 September 2004 15:44 (twenty-one years ago)

Yeah dude, why do you think drummers sit down when they play? Especially METAL drummers.

― Jordan (Jordan), Tuesday, 28 September 2004 15:45 (twenty-one years ago)

Tennis? Every day? I don't think he could make time for this. He's pretty blase about it, it's not him who's losing sleep after all, he's most likely to pop a pill to combat it - if such a thing were available.

― Rumpy Pumpkin (rumpypumpkin), Tuesday, 28 September 2004 15:46 (twenty-one years ago)

They're called sedatives!

― Jordan (Jordan), Tuesday, 28 September 2004 15:48 (twenty-one years ago)

Maybe some heavy muscle relaxers would do the trick.

― Jordan (Jordan), Tuesday, 28 September 2004 15:48 (twenty-one years ago)

Or perhaps a bigger, better bed.

― Jordan (Jordan), Tuesday, 28 September 2004 15:49 (twenty-one years ago)

Wouldn't be a sedative we're looking for, his job involves a lot of driving, sometimes early in the morning. Something herbal to target the actual problem itself rather than knock him out I mean.

Or do you mean a sedative for myself? One a night for the rest of my life?

Or single beds?

― Rumpy Pumpkin (rumpypumpkin), Tuesday, 28 September 2004 15:55 (twenty-one years ago)

Rest of your life...
I still think this sort of thing is psychological.
Works all the time? Maybe a vacation is in order.

― Loose Translation: Sexy Dancer (sexyDancer), Tuesday, 28 September 2004 16:02 (twenty-one years ago)

Thanks chaps.... I'll need to see how far into it he's willing to probe. I wish he was a snorer instead.

― Rumpy Pumpkin (rumpypumpkin), Tuesday, 28 September 2004 16:11 (twenty-one years ago)

Is he driving a stick shift or automatic transmission?

― Michael White (Hereward), Tuesday, 28 September 2004 16:15 (twenty-one years ago)

Manual. Has been for about 12 years now. Think he's driving in his sleep?

― Rumpy Pumpkin (rumpypumpkin), Tuesday, 28 September 2004 16:24 (twenty-one years ago)

I shake my booty in bed.

― Markelby (Mark C), Tuesday, 28 September 2004 16:24 (twenty-one years ago)

my dad has this too, haven't heard of anything that works. :( He had polio as a child too, it affected his legs for the most part, don't know if that's related or not.

― teeny (teeny), Tuesday, 28 September 2004 17:43 (twenty-one years ago)

My father has a mild case of this. I think I do too, only even milder. Have him try taking a calcium supplement before he goes to bed. That has helpe me in the past. (Lately, it hasn't been a problem.) Also, cut back on caffeine.

― Rockist Scientist, Tuesday, 28 September 2004 17:56 (twenty-one years ago)

I'm not saying calcium is a cure-all, but it has helped me when I've had a mild case. Actually, I might start taking it again, since it generally seems to help me get to sleep.

― Rockist Scientist, Tuesday, 28 September 2004 17:57 (twenty-one years ago)

I don't have a theory as to why it would work (though I could make one up).

― Rockist Scientist, Tuesday, 28 September 2004 17:58 (twenty-one years ago)

oh calcium does help with all sorts of muscular problems, it helps menstrual cramps too.

― teeny (teeny), Tuesday, 28 September 2004 18:06 (twenty-one years ago)

without a clue, I say it sounds like stress.

― dave225 (Dave225), Tuesday, 28 September 2004 18:18 (twenty-one years ago)

If he's driving a lot in city traffic on a manual, he's engaging the clutch, accelerating, braking, engaging the clutch, etc... It's far more tiring and stressful than drving an automatic. I don't think I ever got any twitching from it but one job I had required lots of city driving on a manual tran and the hitherto quiescent injuries in my legs (ankle and knee) started acting up something awful.

― Michael White (Hereward), Tuesday, 28 September 2004 18:29 (twenty-one years ago)

I do this too. Only, in my case it's because of medication I take - it makes me shake a lot of the time generally, and occasionally spasm, so in my sleep my shoulders and legs jerk and I sometimes wake myself up. It's pretty damned annoying. Apparently it's quite commone for people's legs to jump as they're falling asleep though.

― Kevin Gilchrist (Mr Fusion), Tuesday, 28 September 2004 18:39 (twenty-one years ago)

Thanks, we'll try calcium supps - worth a try!

― Rumpy Pumpkin (rumpypumpkin), Wednesday, 29 September 2004 09:31 (twenty-one years ago)

You must be logged in to post. Please either login here, or if you are not registered, you may register here.