What Causes Severe Leg Cramps At Night

Posted on Tue, 15 Sep 2015

Question: My husband has recently started having severe leg cramps at night. It's interfering with his sleep, and he comes flying out of bed at all hours of the night. We have tried magnesium, potassium and calcium as well as Valerin for sleep. No luck. any thoughts?

Answered by Dr. Saurabh Gupta (1 hour later)

Brief Answer:
Self-care Activities that might help

Detailed Answer:
Hi,
Thanks for your query.

After going through the description, I understand your concern regarding your husband symptoms. Most of the time, night leg cramps occur for no known reason, and they're usually harmless. In general, night leg cramps are likely to be related to muscle fatigue and nerve problems.

Infact, till date there is no clear cut evidence for the cause of muscle cramps. But the most common cited theories include -
- Altered neuromuscular control
- Dehydration
- Electrolyte depletion
- Poor conditioning
- Muscle fatigue
- Doing a new activity
Self-care Activities that might help prevent night leg cramps include:
• Drinking plenty of fluids to avoid dehydration
• Stretching his leg muscles or riding a stationary bicycle for a few minutes before he go to bed
• Massaging the cramped muscle with his hands or with ice
• Walking or jiggling the leg
• Taking a hot shower or warm bath
• Foods such as bananas, potatoes, prune juice and dried fruit may be helpful in relieving muscle cramps

I do hope that you have found something helpful and I will be glad to answer any further query.

Take care

Note: For further queries, consult a joint and bone specialist, an Orthopaedic surgeon. Book a Call now.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar