Does anyone else ever get 'night cramps' in their legs?

Question

Last night I woke up in excrutiating pain, actually screaming because the cramp in my left calf was so bad. All I could do was clutch at it and try to massage the spasms went away, then I went straight back to sleep again. I know it was real and I didn't dream it because this morning when I tried to get up the muscle had seized. This is the 2nd or 3rd time it's happened this year. What causes it?

I don't drink during the week, and I'm in my 20's. I can assure you growing pains has NOTHING on this.

Answer 1

I suffered regularly from this. This sounds weird I know but I promise you that it worked for me. Get a relatively large piece of cork & put that at the bottom of your bed. Don't know how/why it works, but it did for me. It was advice given to me by a former colleague who was into Alternative Therapies etc.

Answer 2

Hi, I have had these cramps about six time during the last three years and they kill like crazy, they last for around two minutes then its back too sleep.

I get these only when I have had a heavy night drinking alcohol, and have the 'after' pains for a few days later.

I could do with knowing if this is an indication that I have a problem or if theirs something I could do to prevent this. I have read that too much water can affect this, although I have put it down to DE-hydration but also have been told it could be lack of salt?

Answer 3

I have gotten them and they hurt. I have to actually get out of bed and step down in order to relieve the pain. I do not like "Charlie Horses". They say you need potassium when that happens. Eat a banana. That is what I have always been told.

Here is the explanation from MayoClinic:

Answer
A muscle cramp is an involuntary, sustained tightening (contraction) of one or more of your muscles. It can result in intense pain and an inability to use the affected muscles. Night leg cramps are contractions of the leg muscles, usually in the back of the lower leg (calf). They often occur just as you're falling asleep or just as you're waking up.

The exact cause of night leg cramps isn't known. Some experts believe they may be due to abnormal processing of electrolytes — essential elements and chemical substances your body needs for basic functions — by muscles. Almost everyone has occasional leg cramps. But they occur most often in older adults. Common causes of night leg cramps include:

Muscle overexertion
Prolonged sitting
Dehydration
Pregnancy
Diabetes
Decreased potassium levels
Neuromuscular disorders, such as Parkinson's disease
Certain medications, such as albuterol, niacin, diuretics, and some calcium channel blockers and antipsychotic medications
Alcohol use
If you do get a leg cramp, you may be able to make it go away by:

Walking on the affected leg
Massaging the affected muscle
Straightening your leg and flexing your foot toward your knee until you feel the calf muscles stretch
Applying a cold pack to the affected muscle
Taking a hot bath
To help prevent night leg cramps:

Drink plenty of fluids during the day.
Stretch your leg muscles before bedtime.
Get adequate potassium in your diet.
If you have frequent and severe leg cramps at night, talk to your doctor. Treatment results vary. But the most effective treatments based on current research are:

Vitamin B-12
Gabapentin
Night leg cramps should be distinguished from another common cause of night leg discomfort called restless legs syndrome, a condition in which your legs have a creepy, crawly or fidgety sensation unless you move them. The sensation often worsens as night approaches. Restless legs syndrome is a neurologic condition that requires different treatment from that of night leg cramps.

Answer 4

There are a lot of theories out there. You have nocturnal leg cramps. Nocturnal leg cramps are sudden, involuntary contractions of the calf muscles that occur during the night or while at rest.

Sometimes the cramps are caused by overexertion of the muscles, standing on concrete, prolonged sitting, inappropriate leg positions while sedentary, or dehydration. People who are more muscular seem to have more leg cramps. Less common causes include diabetes, Parkinson's disease, hypoglycemia, anemia, thyroid and endocrine disorders and use of some medications.

Some researchers think that people who have nocturnal leg cramps have them at the time of dreaming. They think that these cramps result from a subtle malfunction in the control system that normally separates our brain from the body movements we make in our dreams.

Or you can have an electrolyte imbalance - low levels of magnesium, potassium, calcium and sodium have long been linked to leg cramps.

Answer 5

Hi! Wow, I've never met anyone else who has suffered from this! I used to get it quite a lot in my teens. It was usually when I had been on my feet for a long period of time, especially if I had been out clubbing(and dancing a lot) and had been drinking. I went to the dr about it but they said there was nothing wrong with me. I don't know why it happens, but I don't get them any more; I was also taking the contraceptive pill at the time and I wondered if it could have been attributed to that? Sorry I can't be more helpful; but I never really got to the bottom of it myself. The pain is horrible! Hope it stops for you soon too!

Answer 6

Yep cramp!!
My sister and I actually had them the same night once!!!
I haven't had them in years but they are NOT a plesant experience.
I always thought it was a lack of salts, but I guess cramp in general is set off by muscle tensing....I now get cramps on my flanks due to me not breathing deeply enough due to asthma (shallow breathin) and the muscles are not used properly and I do them at night occasionally but more often when I am lying on the couch or in a funny position.
I would be interested in knowing how to prevent night cramps!

Answer 7

Yes night cramps are awful. One may get it because of decreased electrolytes (usually calcium, but may also be magnesium, sodium and potassium.) Maybe you'd like to try eat different kind of food and see if it helps. If it doesn't work, maybe try blood test and see if certain electrolyte is low/ or high.

Answer 8

I only experience what you described when I extend my foot.
Sometimes in the early morning I will involuntarily stretch my legs and extend my feet and if I go too far I am fully awakened by the excrutiating pain that I simply have to endure for the 20-30 seconds which seems like minutes. I too clutch at it to try and stop the pain.
Then I go back to sleep, but the calf remains sore for a while and when I actually get up and walk around it is dully painful to arch my foot.

Answer 9

Why is everybody talking about potassium? I think that this is due to a magnesium deficiency. Do you have a lot of calcium in your diet? Milk products, for eg.? Too much calcium can rob the body of essential magnesium, and thus may be causing the cramps. Check this link:

http://www.lycos.com/info/magnesium--magnesium-deficiency.html

I then come to the conclusion that calcium should not be taken without magnesium. And remember, too much alcohol robs your body of nutrients. So always go for a multivit & mineral drink afterwards, to pick you up before you fall. Plents of mineral water is also good.

Answer 10

Not at night- but when I wake up in the mornings & try to move I sometimes get that pain. I think it's from sleeping in ackward positions and reduced circulation (e.g. by smoking, diabetes or having an imbalanced diet- I.e. high HDL count [High Density Lipids-"bad fats"]). That or you just don't exercise them enough. Try doing stretches in the morning and evenings (yoga would help I suspect).