Do you have restless legs? What can be done to calm them down...

If you’ve got restless leg syndrome, or RLS, your parents may be to blame. 

One in ten of us suffer from RLS and the most common form runs in families. You are twice as likely to have restless legs if one your parents do – and six times more likely to suffer if your sibling does. So what can you do to stop that creepy, crawly, cramping at night? Change your daily routine. You’ll need a balanced diet and regular exercise. You’ll also want to cut back on alcohol, caffeine and nicotine, all triggers of restless leg syndrome. Compression socks and massage can help relieve symptoms too.

RLS can range from mild to intolerable and can come and go throughout your life. No one is immune. It can strike at any age from childhood on. For women, RLS is often due to low levels of iron and for men and elderly, it often goes hand in hand with a sleep disorder such as sleep apnea. If you’re RLS is really bad, consult your primary physician. A vitamin or mineral supplement could help. There are some sedative drugs for severe RLS, but those come with their own set of risks.