Dancing on the Ceiling With RLS!

While I was lying in bed tonight with my legs conducting their ode to Michael Flatley, the song "Dancing on the Ceiling" by Lionel Richie popped into my head! The reason why I shall explain.

I sleep with my dog cuddled up to me. When I experience restless legs syndrome (RLS) symptoms, it is not just me I am disturbing; it is her too. Believe me, the looks I get from her when I have accidentally made her move due to my tossing and turning are horrendous! They should be incorporated into a horror movie!

Stretching my legs up the wall

So, I have taken to stretching my leg up the wall in my bedroom. My room is the smallest in the house. Whilst incorporating a double bed means Belle can lay up against the wall if she feels the need, and I have easy access to the wall opposite.

This might explain the song's introduction, as I feel like I could be dancing on the ceiling if I have a particularly bad night.

Quietly coping at night

How do you cope with your RLS symptoms whilst trying not to disturb your housemates?

My husband is a light sleeper. This is the reason we sleep in separate rooms, as I used to wake him up more nights than not. So the decision was made 4 years ago to make it easier for him to get a decent night’s sleep.

Nothing has given me lasting relief

Years ago, I used to try existing on camomile tea to ease the nerves in my legs and arms before bedtime. Like most ideas, it seemed to work for a little while, just long enough to make you feel you had a breakthrough. Then my RLS would come back with a vengeance.

The "all-natural" company Lush made a "Sleepy" skin cream 3 or 4 years ago whose ingredients were predominantly lavender. Again, it worked for a while, then crashed and burned.

Still searching for a natural alternative

I think I have tried every combination of sleep serum, tablet, gel, or drink to hopefully dose myself up naturally to ensure I slept deep enough to ignore my RLS symptoms. To no avail.

Even though I take medication prescribed by my doctor, I would still love to find a natural alternative, as I take enough body-destroying medication as it is!

A brief reprieve with acupuncture

Once, for a condition other than my RLS, I received acupuncture. Being petrified of needles is not a great look while having this alternative treatment. With a lot of deep breathing later, I found some relief!

Acupuncture doesn’t work for everyone, mind you. As the National Health Service in England is broken, they had to cut some services from their repertoire; this was one of them.

One night at a time

I shall always remember that one night after treatment when I went to bed relaxed: no creepy feelings, just peace in my legs. The next night it returned, as it always does.

Try to find your way of coping with your symptoms. We all have the weird and wonderful things we do before we end up screaming into a pillow in frustration! Strangely, even that is cathartic.

How do you cope with RLS symptoms? Do you find that treatments provide only temporary relief? Are you still searching for something that works? Share your experience in the comments below.