Self Care & Help when it comes to Restless Legs Syndrome

When suffering from RLS making simple lifestyle changes can make a significant difference in alleviating symptoms of RLS. The following steps will eventually help reduce the uncomfortable sensation in your legs:

• Pain relievers. Some doctors recommend to take over-the-counter pain reliever such as Aleve or Advil to ease the pain from very mild symptoms.
   
• Bathing & massages. A relaxing bath or a nice massage will relax your muscles.
   
• Heat or Cold. Applying warm or cool packs to your legs has shown to ease the sensation in your legs.
   
• Yoga. Stress is suspected to aggravate RLS. Using Yoga relaxation techniques can reduce stress and therefore reduce the uncomfortable feeling in your legs.
   
• Establish good sleep patterns. Fatigue actually tends to worsen the symptoms of RLS. Going to bed at the same time in the evenings is a fist step. A cool and comfortable bed should available. If your mattress is old and has seen too many moves - replace it with something better. A sufficient number of hours of sleep is needed to feel well rested.
   
• Sports & Exercise. Start to exercise. Regular exercise may relieve symptoms of the restless legs syndrome. Keep the amount of exercise reasonable. Overdoing it will not make the symptoms go away any faster.
   
• Stay away from caffeine. Cutting back on caffeine may eventually help to ease the feeling from restless legs syndrome.
   
• Reduce consume of alcohol and tobacco. These substances have shown to aggravate or trigger symptoms of RLS. Tobacco is not healthy anyway as it clogs up your vanes and vessels.
   
• Stay busy. Make sure your evenings are filled with something to do. Keeping your mind concentrated on a good book or movie will help to think about restless legs all the time.

	A resource for people with Restless Legs Syndrome - The Restless Legs Report