Home Remedies for Restless Leg Syndrome

Many RLS sufferers have to take prescription medications to get their symptoms under control, but it makes sense to pursue other avenues before that time comes. Here are some recommendations from the experts and RLS patients themselves:

• Stop smoking, and avoid caffeine and alcohol.       
• Exercise every day, even if it’s just walking for a half-hour and/or doing a few calf stretches. Avoid strenuous exercise before bedtime.
• Change your ergonomics. Try working at a high stool where you can dangle your legs. Take an aisle seat during meetings or on airplanes so you can walk around periodically.  
• Change your sleep patterns—some patients report that symptoms do not occur if they sleep late in the morning.  
• Take over-the-counter drugs. Before taking stronger medications, try over-the-counter pain relievers, such as acetaminophen (Tylenol) or non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), which include ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin) and naproxen (Anaprox, Naprosyn, Aleve). However, be careful with use of NSAIDs. Although they work well, long-term use can cause stomach problems, such as ulcers and bleeding, and possible heart problems.  
• Drink lots of water throughout the day and evenings. Don’t just gulp it all down at once, but sip it so that the body absorbs it rather than in one end and out the other. 
• Put soap under the sheets. Many RLS sufferers have reported that this mysterious remedy actually works. No one knows why, but it’s certainly harmless. Put a bar of Ivory under the bottom sheet and see if your symptoms subside. This also works for leg cramps.  
• Take apple cider vinegar tablets (or a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar in water at bedtime if you can tolerate the taste).   
• Practice progressive muscle relaxation at bedtime. Best Health Magazine recommends, “Breathe deeply for a few minutes, then tense the muscles in your feet. Hold the tension for a few seconds, then relax. Next, tense your calf muscles, hold, and relax. Then do the same with your thigh muscles. Repeat the tensing-and-relaxing pattern, working all the way up your body to your neck and face muscles. When you’re finished, your whole body should feel relaxed.” 
• Slowly and rhythmically slide your leg back and forth on the bed. This may keep your leg from jumping.

Natural News recommends the following home remedies:  

• Drink 1/4 cup of tonic water with quinine before bed; the quinine settles the nervous system, providing relief.
• Add black strap molasses to your diet. High in iron, it helps relieve RLS.
• Try a warm soak in the tub before bedtime with Epsom salts, apple cider vinegar, or baking soda.
• Add foods rich in magnesium to your diet, or take magnesium supplements to help reduce cramping.
• Use hot and cold therapy to reduce cramping.
• Visit an acupuncturist, who may be able to help relieve symptoms.
• Use herbal relaxants—try chamomile tea, valerian, kava, or mucuna pruriens.
• Take B vitamins.
• Wear socks to bed to keep feet warm and protected