Night time leg cramps plague individuals around the world every night. This article will help you determine what has caused them and how to find leg cramp relief. Involuntary muscle contractions often occur at night when you are in the deepest phase of sleep. These contractions can be extremely painful and sleep disturbing. Individuals that get these cramps often wake up and stay awake for 30 minutes during the night, ruining valuable sleep that is needed. The majority of the time the leg cramps are harmless and do not signify anything serious or damaging. Causes of muscle cramps are varied and are different for everyone. Some reasons are more serious than others. Addisons disease, alcoholism, blood pressure medication, dehydration, diarrhea, diabetes, and countless other conditions can lead to night time leg cramps. Home Remedies for Leg Cramps Applying firm pressure to a cramping leg can help relieve the pain. Usually gripping it and gently stretching it will eliminate the cramping and contracting of the muscle. Depending on where you have the cramp this may be difficult to do. Take vitamin D and calcium each day, along with a multivitamin can help relieve muscle cramps and prevent them from happening in the future. This is a great way to avoid getting a rude awakening in the middle of the night! Some people swear that a bar of soap under the sheet helps relieve leg cramps during the night. It can’t hurt to try, but it doesn’t seem like it would be immensely helpful. If you suffer from a long bout of leg cramps then an Epsom salt bath may help relieve the pain. This is ideal for athletes after a long day of training, or for anyone that participates in extreme fitness routines. Other Types of Leg Cramps Rest cramps are caused when you have been moving the entire day, and lay down to rest but your body cannot keep up. The muscles continue twitching and pulsing as if your body was moving still. This can happen in the middle of the night and become bothersome. These cramps may also make you feel as if you need to constantly stretch your legs. Fluid changes or dehydration can cause muscle cramps at night as well. The muscles are not being fed the energy they need during the day, so they convulse at night to make up for it. A true muscle cramp will occur without reason or notice. They just happen and can be excruciatingly painful to feel and experience. These cramps are nothing to worry over and there is little anyone can do to stop them. Other leg cramp types are caused by a number of things and can be different each time. Muscle cramp relief can be found in medicines, exercise and stretching, as well as a healthy diet. Always be sure to drink plenty of water. Drink extra fluids if you exercise often, and take a multi-vitamin!
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