Restless legs before bed

Restless legs can feel like crawling, tingling, pulling or aching deep in the legs. The urge to move tends to appear when you are sitting or lying still and may ease for a short time after walking. Symptoms that follow this pattern may fit Restless Legs Syndrome, although Iron Deficiency Anaemia, Peripheral Neuropathy and Chronic Kidney Disease can also be relevant. The timing gives useful information, but it cannot establish the cause without assessment.

Keep bedtime and wake time consistent, and begin winding down before you get into bed. Try calf and thigh stretches, gentle massage, or a warm bath. A brief walk may help if sitting triggers symptoms, but avoid intense exercise close to bedtime. Notice whether caffeine, nicotine, alcohol, or a newly started medicine makes the evening worse and share the pattern with a clinician. Do not self-treat with iron; testing can guide whether Iron Supplementation is needed.

Arrange an appointment when symptoms occur regularly, keep you awake, cause daytime tiredness, or spread beyond the usual evening pattern. Get urgent help if a leg becomes suddenly swollen, red, hot or very painful, or if leg symptoms occur with chest pain or breathlessness. A clinician can review your history, medicines, sleep and possible contributors.

What features suggest restless legs rather than cramps? Should I have iron or other blood tests? Could any medicine be contributing, and what bedtime measures are safe for me?