What is nocturnal cramp?
Leg cramps at night
Painful leg cramps at night affect over 13 million people in the UK1. These cramps can occur regularly at night, preventing you from sleeping.
Cramps at night commonly affect the calf and foot muscles, and occur when the muscles rapidly contract in a vigorous and sustained manner, commonly referred to as a muscle spasm. Episodes of cramp, including night cramp, can last from a couple of seconds up to 10 minutes, with a lingering pain lasting for up to 24 hours.
Some people may experience one or two episodes nightly, several times a week. The soreness in the affected muscle can sometimes last into the next day.
While the exact cause of nocturnal muscle spasms is unknown, common triggers include dehydration, poor circulation, tiredness, muscle tightness, poor posture, standing or working on hard floors, certain medications or medical conditions and calcium deficiency. They can also be triggered by turning or stretching movements during sleep.
Almost everybody will experience a muscle cramp at some point, either from exercise or seemingly simple movements. However, those most at risk of having them include people over the age of 50, those who are overweight, those who overexert themselves during exercise, and those on certain medications2.
1 Postgraduate Medicine (February 2002)
2 http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/legcrampsunknowncause/Pages/Causes.aspx
Two thirds of GPs surveyed believe that night cramps in the muscle can severely impact sleep quality, disturbing not only the sufferer but also their partner
28 per cent of GPs say that night time cramp is a common problem amongst their patients
Consumer survey of 400 British GPs conducted by Opinion Health, May 2009