Medical Documentation

Hello everyone, I’m hoping for some guidance or help.

I was diagnosed in 2015 with Severe Periodic Limb Movement Disorder and Restless Leg Syndrome, with 41 movements per hour. I’m currently dealing with a long-distance co-parenting and custody schedule, and my medical condition is making the current arrangement extremely difficult.

My daughter’s father moved about five hours away. We meet halfway for custody exchanges, but this still results in approximately five hours of driving round-trip for me. The exchange is scheduled for 6:30 PM, but due to his new job he has been arriving late, pushing the exchange closer to 7:00 PM. Because the exchange is court-ordered, I must wait, which adds even more time.

. If I do not take my medication (pramipexole) and go to bed by 8:00–8:30 PM, my symptoms significantly worsen. When I try to stay up later, I experience severe restless legs, inability to sleep, increased fatigue, and significant distress. This combination makes late-night, long-distance driving extremely challenging.

I am trying to find help writing a medical letter or documentation that my sleep doctor could sign (or use as an example) explaining how the timing and distance of late-night driving negatively impact my condition — without suggesting that I am unable to drive altogether. The issue is specifically the late timing combined with the long distance.

Ideally, I am hoping to request that custody exchanges occur the following morning instead, but I need appropriate documentation to provide to my lawyer and possibly the judge.

We exchange custody every other weekend and this has been ongoing for about three years, and my daughter is only 11, meaning this will continue for many more years unless something changes.

Any advice, examples, or guidance would mean more than I can express. I’m doing my best to cope, but this situation is becoming unsustainable. I do have an apt with my sleep Doctor this week and am looking to see what other treatment options are available.

Thank you so much for taking the time to read this.