Nocturnal leg cramps are pains that occur during sleep. They can wake a person up and occur at night due to prolonged hours of inactivity. Nocturnal leg cramps frequently occur in the calf, but can also cause pain in the thighs and feet. These cramping pains can last from a few seconds to a few minutes. Once the cramp has subsided, muscle pain may persist for the rest of the night and into the following day. Both men and women can experience leg cramps, and they occur more frequently in adults over 50.
Nocturnal leg cramps are not restless leg syndrome.
Night cramps and restless legs both occur during sleep, but this is their only similarity. There are several differences between these two conditions: Restless leg syndrome:
Does not cause pain or cramps, whereas night cramps do.
It’s more of a discomfort or tingling sensation in the legs.
It causes the urge to move the legs, whereas nighttime cramps often prevent movement.
Moving the legs during restless leg syndrome provides relief, but not with nighttime cramps; stretching provides relief.
Causes and Risk Factors of Nighttime Cramps
The exact cause of nighttime cramps is often unknown, but potential causes and risk factors include: