nighttime leg muscle cramps

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brentpaul33
brentpaul33 Posts: 20 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Does anyone else have this problem? It happens at least twice a week and wakes me from a deep sleep. I have to get out of bed and stretch my legs and then it's fine. Although I can still feel the muscles in my leg tightened up throughout the whole day.

I sit most of my day at my job. However I usually make a point to get up every hour and walk around for a bit.
exercise consists of walking an hour a day.
It has been fairly humid here in the midwest and I have been drinking more water.
I am willing to try anything if it means I can have a few more nights of undisturbed sleep.
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Replies

  • 1209272
    1209272 Posts: 7
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    Try eating more bananas and drinking more water
  • hbrittingham
    hbrittingham Posts: 2,518 Member
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    There are some non-medical things you can try. The first is to put a bar of soap under your fitted sheet on your bed, at the foot of the bed. It sounds crazy, but I've tried it and it works. I don't know why. Another one I read about in the People's Pharmacy is to keep packets of yellow mustard in your nightstand and eat one of them when the cramps start up. Supposedly it works very quickly and efficiently.

    You may also want to track your potassium here. It's very difficult to hit your required potassium amounts, and low potassium can cause leg cramps.
  • MinnieInMaine
    MinnieInMaine Posts: 6,400 Member
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    Not just bananas...the point most people try to make when they say to eat more bananas is that you need more potassium. Look up foods that naturally contain high amounts of potassium or even look into supplements.

    Also, make sure you're stretching well after your walks to help with muscle recovery. Also think about getting a foam roller to help ease muscle tension.

    And of course if it continues, talk to your doctor.
  • ccrawford57
    ccrawford57 Posts: 1 Member
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    Does anyone else have this problem? It happens at least twice a week and wakes me from a deep sleep. I have to get out of bed and stretch my legs and then it's fine. Although I can still feel the muscles in my leg tightened up throughout the whole day.

    I sit most of my day at my job. However I usually make a point to get up every hour and walk around for a bit.
    exercise consists of walking an hour a day.
    It has been fairly humid here in the midwest and I have been drinking more water.
    I am willing to try anything if it means I can have a few more nights of undisturbed sleep.

    I am having the EXACT SAME PROBLEM. It's been going on for about two weeks for me. I'm from the Midwest, leg cramping, and I can feel it throughout the day. I even went to the doctor yesterday and they don't know what it is. I'm going to try the potassium like someone else recommended because I can't do mustard packs!!!
  • Hellbent_Heidi
    Hellbent_Heidi Posts: 3,669 Member
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    I get that sometimes too....drink more water for sure and add potassium. Make sure you stretch before bed (also before and after exercise)...
  • smcdonald413
    smcdonald413 Posts: 1 Member
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    I found the bar of soap in my bed works better than anything. It does sound crazy, I agree, but you have nothing to lose by trying it.
  • bethanytapp
    bethanytapp Posts: 79 Member
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    I had the same problem for several months and was up 2-3 times a night having to walk around and massage my calves. I finally spoke to a friend who is a homeopathic doctor. He said that many people while loosing weight upset their mineral levels because of suddenly drinking more water and exercising more. He told me that the common thought is that its potassium shortage, but it's most likely magnesium (which most people rarely think of). he had me get 'chelated magnesium' tablets and take them for a month. They weren't cheap, but I noticed a difference within a couple of days. I tried to stop taking them when I noticed the improvement, but the cramps came back. I continued the treatment for a month and now 6 months later have only had it happen 2 or 3 times.
  • rachface1234
    rachface1234 Posts: 227 Member
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    Potassium rich foods: white beans/pinto beans, spinach/kale, mushrooms, acorn squash, avocados, yogurt, salmon, peaches. I get these when I don't do ANY stretching and get a little dehydrated after some intense exercise in the heat. More water, more potassium, and stretch a bit before going to bed (helps me anyways!)
  • Laurenloveswaffles
    Laurenloveswaffles Posts: 535 Member
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    Oh gosh, I get cramps all the time and it drives me crazy. I will wake up in tears because they hurt so much. I started taking in more potassium and that has helped a lot. Also drinking BCAAS helps. And water! Drink water like you're a fish!
  • AsaThorsWoman
    AsaThorsWoman Posts: 2,303 Member
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    There are some non-medical things you can try. The first is to put a bar of soap under your fitted sheet on your bed, at the foot of the bed. It sounds crazy, but I've tried it and it works. I don't know why. Another one I read about in the People's Pharmacy is to keep packets of yellow mustard in your nightstand and eat one of them when the cramps start up. Supposedly it works very quickly and efficiently.

    You may also want to track your potassium here. It's very difficult to hit your required potassium amounts, and low potassium can cause leg cramps.

    Is there even a way to track potassium on MFP?

    I don't think there is.

    If there is, please enlighten us!
  • AsaThorsWoman
    AsaThorsWoman Posts: 2,303 Member
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    I use magnesium tablets.

    If it gets really bad, an epsom salts bath.

    If you have a partner, a massage does wonders.

    You have to take the magnesium daily, to keep the levels up in your body.

    Also avoid soda pops.

    It's a night mare, I get it a lot.

    Especially since I started lifting :-/
  • AsaThorsWoman
    AsaThorsWoman Posts: 2,303 Member
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    Oh gosh, I get cramps all the time and it drives me crazy. I will wake up in tears because they hurt so much. I started taking in more potassium and that has helped a lot. Also drinking BCAAS helps. And water! Drink water like you're a fish!

    BCAA's like the pre-workout stuff?
  • potatogirl741
    potatogirl741 Posts: 64 Member
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    I have been getting leg cramps since I was in junior high. More potassium for sure but in the midst of one, try flexing your foot and pointing/pulling your toes towards your shin as far as possible. It helps release the musle cramp and I find my calf is less sore the next day if I do this.
  • beckyboop712
    beckyboop712 Posts: 383 Member
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    If the same muscles keep cramping up, try stretching out ALL your muscles. I had a period last fall where my calves cramped up all the time despite stretching them frequently. I discovered that if I stretched them all out it helped my calves out immensely. Tight muscles can wreak havoc elsewhere, turns out my quads are what the problem really boiled down to with my calf cramps. Take 10-20 minutes after your walk to fully stretch out.
  • bostonwolf
    bostonwolf Posts: 3,038 Member
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    Does anyone else have this problem? It happens at least twice a week and wakes me from a deep sleep. I have to get out of bed and stretch my legs and then it's fine. Although I can still feel the muscles in my leg tightened up throughout the whole day.

    I sit most of my day at my job. However I usually make a point to get up every hour and walk around for a bit.
    exercise consists of walking an hour a day.
    It has been fairly humid here in the midwest and I have been drinking more water.
    I am willing to try anything if it means I can have a few more nights of undisturbed sleep.

    I get them occassionally. Make sure you are hydrated (your pee is clear or pale yellow) and try to eat a banana or some other source of potassium. I find that when I do those things the cramps disappear...until I forget how much they hurt and do it again.
  • bostonwolf
    bostonwolf Posts: 3,038 Member
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    Cramping doesn't really have anything to do with stretching. It's dehydration and electrolyte depletion.
  • asdowe13
    asdowe13 Posts: 1,951 Member
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    There are some non-medical things you can try. The first is to put a bar of soap under your fitted sheet on your bed, at the foot of the bed. It sounds crazy, but I've tried it and it works. I don't know why. Another one I read about in the People's Pharmacy is to keep packets of yellow mustard in your nightstand and eat one of them when the cramps start up. Supposedly it works very quickly and efficiently.

    You may also want to track your potassium here. It's very difficult to hit your required potassium amounts, and low potassium can cause leg cramps.

    Is there even a way to track potassium on MFP?

    I don't think there is.

    If there is, please enlighten us!

    There is.

    Go to your food tab
    Click settings
    Select Potassium as a nutrient to track
  • W31RD0
    W31RD0 Posts: 173 Member
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    I know people will suggest bananas, and while bananas are great (422mg of potassium) you would be better served with a couple of foods that are high in potassium:

    Baked Potatoes
    Spinach
    Beans - Pinto, soy, lima, kidney are all good
    Yogert
    fish - Salmon, Haliburt, Mackerel, tunafish (tunafish only has a 100mg but it should still help if you are deficient)
    Avacados

    Make sure you are also hydrated before bed.
    There are some non-medical things you can try. The first is to put a bar of soap under your fitted sheet on your bed, at the foot of the bed. It sounds crazy, but I've tried it and it works.

    Might as well put lambs blood on your door to ward away bad spirits.
    I don't know why. Another one I read about in the People's Pharmacy is to keep packets of yellow mustard in your nightstand and eat one of them when the cramps start up. Supposedly it works very quickly and efficiently.

    There is no potassium in yellow mustard. There is a very small amount of turmeric, but since we can't absorb it's active ingrediant curcumin easily, I don't see how this would help.

    People's Pharmacy is a site full of quackery.
    You may also want to track your potassium here. It's very difficult to hit your required potassium amounts, and low potassium can cause leg cramps.

    I don't know why you listed the real treatment last.
  • QuietBloom
    QuietBloom Posts: 5,413 Member
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    Are you getting enough calcium and magnesium? Sodium? During the hot weather we sweat a lot more and lose electrolytes. Also when I get cramps, it usually responds to increased calcium and magnesium uptake.
  • Laurenloveswaffles
    Laurenloveswaffles Posts: 535 Member
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    Oh gosh, I get cramps all the time and it drives me crazy. I will wake up in tears because they hurt so much. I started taking in more potassium and that has helped a lot. Also drinking BCAAS helps. And water! Drink water like you're a fish!

    BCAA's like the pre-workout stuff?

    There are BCAAS in some preworkouts, but I just take plain BCAAS

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