My calves hurt and I can't sleep. What's going on?

Some people feel particularly uncomfortable in their calves when they sleep at night, which seriously affects the quality of their sleep. This discomfort has many symptoms, such as soreness and swelling, and not knowing where to put the legs. This situation may be caused by restless legs syndrome. Some people tend to ignore this phenomenon. Restless legs syndrome is quite harmful to people and requires timely and good treatment.

Restless Legs Syndrome

Generally, it is like this: I always want to move my legs when I sleep at night; I feel uncomfortable if I don’t move my legs when I sleep; I feel better if I move my legs when I sleep at night; I have to get out of bed and walk around to relieve the discomfort in my legs when I sleep at night; I feel like there are bugs biting my calves when I sleep at night; I feel ants crawling; my legs are in trouble; I feel tingling in both legs; I feel sore in my calves; my legs feel uncomfortable at night as if there are ants crawling on them, and I feel better by patting them; I can’t sleep at night because my arms and calves are itchy and uncomfortable; I wake up easily when my legs feel uncomfortable at night; I feel upset and my legs feel uncomfortable when I sleep at night, etc.

Medical description of symptoms and signs of restless legs syndrome

1. Symptoms of restless legs syndrome

1. Location: Restless legs syndrome mostly occurs in the lower limbs, most commonly in the gastrocnemius muscle, and can occasionally occur in the thighs or upper limbs, usually in a symmetrical manner. 2. Nature: Restless Legs Syndrome patients often experience tearing, crawling, creeping, tingling, burning, pain, itching, numbness and other leg discomforts. They have an urgent and strong feeling of wanting to move, which leads to excessive activity. 3. Time: Restless legs syndrome (RLS) occurs when the patient is at rest. The symptoms are more severe at night or after a period of rest. Sometimes they only last for a few minutes, and in severe cases they last all night. Moving the lower limbs can significantly alleviate the symptoms, but the symptoms will be significantly aggravated after the patient rests or falls asleep. 4. Insomnia: Due to nighttime insomnia, restless legs patients suffer from severe daytime sleepiness and reduced work ability.

2. Physical signs

When patients with restless legs syndrome sleep quietly at night, they experience alternating, periodic hyperactivity of muscles from one lower limb to the other, and alternating discomfort of the lower limb muscles can be seen.