Restless legs syndrome is a disorder of the nervous system that causes you have an overwhelming urge to move your legs or other parts of the body.

1. RESTLESS LEG SYNDROME

2. WHAT IS RESTLESS LEG SYNDROME?
 Restless legs syndrome is a disorder of the nervous
system that causes you have an overwhelming
urge to move your legs or other parts of the body.
 Restless legs syndrome makes it difficult to get
comfortable enough to fall asleep.

3. SIGNS & SYMPTOMS OF RESTLESS LEGS
SYNDROME
 The symptoms are usually worse at night but may also
occur at rest, when lying or sitting and tend to occur in
the evening.
 The sensation is difficult for some people to describe.
Patients describe these symptoms as creepy, crawly
sensations, leg pains, cramps, tingling, itching, aching or
uncomfortable sensations that will be temporarily
relieved by movement.
 Therefore, if you move your legs or get up and walk
around, these symptoms may go away. The discomfort
may return when you try again to go to sleep.
 Patients may experience this intermittently or nightly and
symptoms can range from mild to severe.

4. SIGNS & SYMPTOMS OF RESTLESS LEGS
SYNDROME
 Most people develop RLS after age 45.
 Women are nearly twice as likely as men to
develop RLS. Children can also have RLS.

5. CAUSES OF RESTLESS LEGS SYNDROME
 RLS is a clinical diagnosis. It is subdivided into
primary of secondary RLS.
 Primary RLS can run in families with 50% of
patients reporting a family member with similar
symptoms, as the risk is about three to six times
greater.
 Secondary RLS will be due to an underlying
medical cause such as iron deficiencies, peripheral
neuropathies, diabetes and is sometimes related to
medications.

6. COMMON CONDITIONS ASSOCIATED WITH RLS
 RLS is associated with sleep apnea or narcolepsy.

7. WHY SEEK HELP FOR RLS
 Symptoms from RLS cause patients to have
difficulty falling asleep and maintaining sleep.
 The inability to fall asleep or stay asleep can lead to
chronic sleep deprivation which results in impaired
cognitive functioning, mood disorder, degraded
learning and memory or slow reaction times.

8. HOW TO TREAT RLS
 A consultation with a sleep specialist
https://www.sleepmedcenter.com/why-us/ is the first
step to relieving symptoms.
 RLS can be treated successfully with medication
and good sleep hygiene.

9. SCHEDULE AN APPOINTMENT TODAY
 If you suspect that you may have RLS, contact us
online or by calling 708-364-0261 to set up an
appointment with one of our sleep specialists.