Leg cramps after waking up

What causes leg cramps when waking up?

Leg cramps after waking up are a very common phenomenon. The cause of this symptom may be the loss of calcium in the human body due to reduced physical fitness. If you do not pay attention to keeping warm, it will cause leg cramps. You can supplement calcium, eat more fresh vegetables and fruits, maintain adequate sleep, do appropriate outdoor exercise, get more sun, and apply hot compresses or massage to promote blood circulation in the legs.

Why do my calves cramp sometimes when I sleep?

Medical analysis shows that:

1. Most calf cramps during sleep at night are idiopathic. If it doesn't happen often, there's no need to worry too much.

2. When suffering from certain diseases, the probability of leg cramps increases, which is called secondary leg cramps, such as various muscle diseases, peripheral neuropathy, uremia, diabetes, thyroid disease, low magnesium, low calcium, low potassium, etc.

3. Most leg cramps are related to calcium deficiency. Women with poor physical fitness or postmenopausal women, people who are dieting to lose weight, etc., may suffer leg cramps due to insufficient calcium absorption or intake.

The common reasons are as follows:

1. Cold stimulation from the external environment, such as low room temperature at night in winter, using a quilt that is too thin during sleep or exposing legs and feet outside the quilt.

2. Fatigue, lack of sleep, rest or excessive rest can lead to the accumulation of local acidic metabolic products and cause muscle spasms. Walking or exercising for too long, which causes excessive fatigue in the lower limbs, or lack of rest and sleep, can cause lactic acid accumulation. Sleeping and resting too much or too long can slow down blood circulation and cause carbon dioxide accumulation.

3. The decline of estrogen and osteoporosis in elderly women will cause low blood calcium levels, increased muscle irritability and frequent cramps.

4. Bad sleeping posture, such as lying on your back for a long time with the quilt pressing on your feet, or lying on your stomach for a long time with your feet against the bed, forcing certain calf muscles to be in an absolutely relaxed state for a long time, which can cause "passive contracture" of the muscles.

To relieve calf cramps:

1. Simple treatment: The easiest way to deal with an attack is to lift your big toe upwards and stretch your legs straight. If you have someone to help you, the results will be faster.

2. Stretching: Sit up immediately, straighten the calf that has cramps, bend the torso forward, hold the front of the foot with both hands, and slowly and continuously pull it toward the side of the torso until the cramps are relieved.

3. Acupoint stimulation: You can use your fingers to press the Weizhong point (the center point of the depression behind the knee), Chengjin point (the highest point of the calf muscle on the back), Chengshan point (the bifurcation of the calf muscle on the back), etc.

4. Local massage: Rub your calves quickly with both hands, or press or tap your calf muscles with your hands to help relieve muscle spasms.

5. Hot compress: If the above methods fail to completely relieve the symptoms, you can use a hot towel or hot water bottle to apply to the calf, which can effectively promote blood circulation in the muscles and relieve spasms.

To prevent leg cramps, you should pay attention to the following points:

Some people like to cover themselves tightly with a quilt when they sleep, especially when lying on their backs. The quilt may press on the feet, which will tighten the gastrocnemius and plantar muscles and cause cramps. Just loosen the bedding a little.

If you are active, drink plenty of water to avoid dehydration, but don't drink too much. Large amounts of fluid can dilute the sodium concentration in the blood, which can cause muscle cramps. The amount of water you drink depends on your activity level and the food you eat.

Avoid getting your legs cold or exercising suddenly, vigorously or for too long.

Pay attention to calcium supplementation in your diet. Exercising more and getting more sun exposure are beneficial to bone growth and health. You can also take calcium lactate, calcium gluconate, etc. orally.

Wear comfortable shoes. Flat feet and other anatomical issues make some people more susceptible to leg cramps. Proper shoes are one way to compensate.

Appropriate physical exercise can reduce the occurrence of cramps through exercise, and stretching the gastrocnemius (the muscle on the back of the calf) every day can prevent frequent calf cramps.