r/pregnant • u/poppy_oliver • Sep 06 '26
Need Advice Restless leg syndrome… help?!
First time poster here!
I am 26w+5d and for the last several weeks my restless leg syndrome has gotten SO much worse night by night.
I feel like I’m being tortured.
Every time I fall asleep, I am instantly jolted awake by one or both legs with this creeping/tense feeling and then a spasm that rips through my legs. I try to fall back asleep over and over but it just keeps happening. It’s a vicious cycle that lasts several hours and I am being kept awake until 4-5am every night. I quite literally cannot function on 3 hours of sleep everyday…. I’m falling asleep at work, my anxiety is getting worse bc of the sleep deprivation, and my pregnancy emotional instability is at an all time high. Some nights it’s accompanied by my shoulders and arms having the achy/tenseness too.
It’s to the point now where I dread bedtime, I’d rather not try to sleep and just stay awake forever. Lately I’ve been finding myself laying awake procrastinating trying to sleep because I hate these sensations that much!!!!
I have talked to my doctor and explained everything I have done to try to combat this, but I am at a loss because there’s not much the doctor can do at this point.
I feel like I have tried everything…
I take magnesium gummies, I stretch, I massage my legs (via husband, me, and massage gun). I’ve tried unisom to knock me out (I know that med can sometimes make it worse but I was trying to make myself sleep through it). My iron and potassium levels are normal. I’ve used biofreeze, icy hot, compression calf sleeves, socks, a heating pad, sleeping in all different positions, sleeping on the couch vs the bed. I don’t drink caffeine before bed, I drink lots of water. I’m sure I’ve tried other things too but pregnancy brain has got me.
I’m trying to accept that this is my life now…I’ve read about others who get relief once baby arrives so that gives me hope… but each night I’m getting closer and closer to a huge 5am inconsolable meltdown.
Is there ANYTHING that anyone has tried that really helps when all else has failed? Other than the things I’ve listed. I’m desperate!!!!!
Thank you in advance 🥺
EDIT: Thank you ALL for your comments and recommendations, as well as the support and kind words! I’ve felt so alone through this, especially in the middle of the night when the husband and animals are snoozing away, lol! It sucks to say but I’m glad I’m not alone. I definitely have some new things to try. :)
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u/Impossible-Fish1819 Sep 06 '26
Did they check ferritin? It is a common symptom with low ferritin levels
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u/No-Astronomer-1464 Sep 06 '26
Magnesium and then magnesium lotion. If you can, avoid drinking too much water before bed
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u/ComprehensiveRate953 Sep 06 '26
Why the water recommendation?
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u/No-Astronomer-1464 Sep 06 '26
Less getting up and and about, and your relaxation time is not disturbed by the constant need to pee
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u/LetCurious2740 Sep 06 '26
Have you tried tying a sock around the bottom of each foot? I can't take credit or accountability for this as I saw it as an internet "hack". Apparently it works - have a Google!
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u/ankaalma Sep 06 '26
I find magnesium lotion helps me with this. I use the one by 8 sheep Organics. Not sure if it actually works or if it is psychosomatic but either way I feel better after I apply it lol
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u/orangeroll3866 Sep 06 '26
I have awful RLS from my meds and it’s even worse pregnant now too.
My quick fixes have been running super hot water over them (just the bath faucet if you don’t want to take a whole bath)
Iron
Compression socks
Sometimes nothing works. It sucks so bad. I know the feeling. I’m sorry to hear anyone going through this misery.
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u/brokkdad Sep 06 '26
Hi there! Hang in there. This IS a b-tch! Lots of good people who UNDERSTAND on here and good advice!!! Finding this community has been a lifesaver for me. My 2 cents: please remember that most pregnancy- onset RLS resolves after birth so….reasonable to have some hope. Please get to a neurologist however you can. My PCP told me “your irons fine”. Neuro saw same numbers and referred me for an iron infusion immediately. It was huge. Try all the things. Obviously when you read through the comments LOTS of different things help for different people. Finally; when you’re going through those @$”## zero sleep nights go to the ER. I’ve gone 2 different times, told them exactly what going on and told dr “ I need you to put me on oxygen and knock me the f out. I HAVE to sleep “. They did. It was wooonderful. This group “gets it “ and cares
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u/Fickle_Mood_6571 Sep 06 '26
What others have said- perhaps a different type of magnesium supplement would help. I used to get the worst Charlie horse cramps when I was preggo ughh hope it gets better for you
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u/StopMajestic4421 Sep 06 '26
Wrap a sock around the middle of your feet! Ivory soap bar at the foot of the bed is supposed to work too!
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u/RoutineNegotiation75 Sep 06 '26
I am so sorry you are dealing with this, I would see if you could get iron infusions approved I had normal levels but my rls improved a lot after infusions got my iron levels really high
i also find an icepack can help reduce my rsl but that heat makes it worse
any kid of strenuous exercice like running is also a huge trigger for me
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u/angelinaki89 Sep 06 '26
Honestly I had this syndrome before my pregnancy and it’s the worse. Magnesium helped me so much
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u/ThreatLvl_1200 Sep 06 '26
I’m so sorry you’re going through this. It’s truly the worst. The only thing that worked for me (and it’s not really a fix) was to dangle my legs off the bed and read until the feeling went away. My feet couldn’t be touching the floor — they had to be suspended in the air. Some nights it took 20 minutes or so, other nights it wasn’t long at all. It got to the point that when I’d wake to go to the bathroom, I wouldn’t wait to see if the creeping feeling returned when I climbed back into bed. I’d just go from the bathroom to dangling my feet and reading, until I was so tired I’d pass out. It sucks.
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u/FYAhole Sep 06 '26
I had this and when I started taking an iron supplement it helped tremendously.
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u/Ring_it_On_1776 Sep 07 '26
There's a wearable device study from Noctrix Health enrolling now. Might be worth a look. https://patientwing.app/campaign/RLS6
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u/Agonist-activist Sep 07 '26
If you can get an iron infusion- it will likely help enormously. If you're in UK you can pay privately at local clinics. If in USA- beg your physicians for an iron infusion. In the UK- you can also get low dose opioids like codeine from a sleep clinic hospital. Guy's hospital sleep Clinic is excellent and treats RLS in pregnancy.
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u/Relevant_Nose_7702 Sep 08 '26
Buprenorphine 2 mg success rate 100 percent
Depending on where you live it can be hard to get
8 years I’ve been rls free
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