Sleep-Related Movement Disorders
Sleep-Related Movement Disorders
Restless leg syndrome
Restless leg syndrome (RLS) is a neurological disorder characterized by an irresistible urge to move the legs, often accompanied by uncomfortable sensations, leading to difficulty falling or staying asleep.
What are the symptoms of restless leg syndrome?
A child with restless leg syndrome may experience various symptoms, usually at night, such as:
- Uncomfortable sensations described as crawling, itching, tingling or aching in the legs
- Sleep disruption (difficulty falling or staying asleep)
- Improvement with movement (relief is often experienced by moving the legs, stretching or walking
- Periodic leg movements (twitching or jerking of the legs when sleeping)
What happens if not treated?
- Your child may have difficulty sleeping well at night
- Due to inefficient sleep at night, your child may experience daytime sleepiness, mood changes, undesirable behavior and poor school performance
How to diagnose?
- Our sleep specialist will offer you a clinic visit to evaluate further
- History alone is usually sufficient
- If necessary, our sleep specialist may order some lab work and/or schedule an overnight sleep study if any other sleep disorder is suspected
What is the treatment?
- Establishing healthy sleep habits
- Avoiding caffeine
- Getting moderate exercise before bedtime, such as walking, stretching or massaging
- Taking an iron supplementation if there is an iron deficiency
- In severe cases, medication may be needed
