由 home-healthhaven 
If you’re one of the many Americans who struggle with sleep, you’re not alone. Some people have nightmares, and others just can’t fall asleep at all. But if you crawl into bed exhausted, ready for rest, and suddenly feel like your legs want to run a marathon, you might have Restless Leg Syndrome (RLS). I know, because I do too.
Restless Leg Syndrome, also known as Willis-Ekbom disease, is a neurological condition that makes you feel an overwhelming urge to move to ease weird or uncomfortable sensations.
For years, I didn’t believe “Restless Legs” was a real issue. But denial only lasts so long. Every night, I’d lie down just to get up 20 minutes later trying any remedy I could think of. Sometimes, I would toss and turn so much that my wife would get up and tie my legs together with a pillowcase. That’s when I realized I needed to try other options. Here’s what I found worked and what didn’t:
1. **Quinine Pills**: My mom, who also has RLS, suggested drinking quinine (found in tonic water) before bed to calm my legs. I tried it, but it didn’t help. I suspect she might have been mixing her quinine with gin.
2. **Ivory Soap**: I heard an old wives’ tale saying placing a bar of Ivory soap under your sheets could help. It didn’t do anything for me, and I began to think there might be an Ivory-scented conspiracy!
3. **Exercise**: Often, I try to tire my leg muscles out when they get restless. This seems to work the best for me, and exercise is never a bad thing anyway.
4. **Hot Shower**: If all else fails, I take a hot, steamy shower to relax. It helps me fall asleep once I get back to bed, though it leaves the sheets damp, much to my wife’s dismay.
5. **The Couch**: When I’m desperate, I head to the couch. I wedge my feet between the cushions and the back of the couch to stop them from moving. This swaddling technique works well, though I sometimes wake up with a stiff neck.
6. **Sleeping Pills**: As a last resort, I take sleeping pills. They’re not ideal, but after several nights of no sleep, getting a solid 8 hours feels like a dream.
So, if you’re struggling to get a good night’s sleep and don’t know what to do, give some of these remedies a try. They might just work for you.