What should you know about legs feeling restless when trying to sleep?

The sensation may feel like crawling, pulling, tingling or aching deep in the legs. It tends to appear during rest and improve temporarily when you walk or stretch. Restless legs syndrome can occur on its own, while iron deficiency anaemia, chronic kidney disease, pregnancy, some medicines or peripheral neuropathy may contribute. A clinician will ask about sleep, medicines, diet and other symptoms and may arrange blood tests.

Keep a regular sleep routine, try gentle leg stretching, massage or a warm bath, and reduce caffeine late in the day. Record when symptoms start and whether movement helps. Do not start iron tablets without checking your iron status; supplementation is useful only when a clinician identifies a need and advises a suitable product.

Book a medical review when symptoms repeatedly disrupt sleep, spread, become painful or begin after a new medicine. Seek urgent help for sudden one-sided swelling, severe weakness, a cold or pale foot, or new loss of bladder or bowel control, since these features need a different assessment.

Ask whether iron tests, kidney checks or a nerve assessment are appropriate, whether a medicine could be contributing, and which treatment is safe with your other conditions.