RLS Without Creature Comforts

Recently I found myself in a situation I would never wish on my worst enemy. I was living in a property, surrounded by nothing — no carpet, no curtains, no privacy. A relationship breakdown had reduced me to my knees. At least my restless legs syndrome (RLS) was my constant companion.

When the person you love chooses to be a complete moron, the decision that has to be made is, in fact, very easy. The aftermath is not. Surviving without the items whose appearance makes you call home a combined bundle of bricks, mortar, and insulation.

Unfamiliar surroundings

Waking in the morning to a sublime sight – the light flooding the room you are currently staying in. The bed is a king-size duvet folded in half upon the floor of the built-in closet, the only part of the house that contains carpet. Then shutting the 2 doors to enclose yourself within the darkness, enveloped, hugged by the peace.

The day is filled with uncertainty and form filling. Begging to make your life complete, using the kindness of strangers, is not something I enjoy. Realising the trip to the local village shop involves walking downhill on the way there, unfortunately, and then a rapid uphill on the way home, feeding the RLS monster in my calves.

My usual comforts were gone

As a sufferer, you learn which activities you undertake during the daytime that will trigger your RLS during the nighttime. It is a strange condition that seems to hold things against you during the day, unleashing them as the sun sets.

Where you would normally take solace in your creature comforts when RLS hits — watching television while you pace the room, desperately trying to calm the nagging sensation in your legs and arms by sitting with a heating pad upon the offending area —, when your rooms are bare, relief is not forthcoming.

RLS and a mind in turmoil

Days come and go, struggling to cope with your changing life. Conversations had, apologies made, realisations brought to the forefront. When the lightbulb of ideas pings above your head, it can be quite striking – the knowledge that you may have made a wrong decision is devastating.

RLS seems to increase when your mind is in turmoil. I don't know if your mind making sense of what has transpired aggravates the part of your brain that controls your limbs, or if it's just that RLS is an arse!

Returning home

Setting foot back into the house that you love, where your everything lives, along with the objet d'art that makes that house home is exhilarating. Sitting on your raggedy sofa feels like floating on air, especially when you have been sitting on a floor for the last week.

The dread you usually feel for bedtime seems to be missing. RLS symptoms are starting to make themselves known. Lying on the bed makes your whole body relax. Muscles you never knew you had morph into the mattress as relaxation becomes complete.

For the first time in 2 decades, sleep comes fully. No RLS for the night, no plodding round the lounge. No frustration taking hold. All it took was 1 week in an empty bungalow. I wouldn't recommend it to try and beat your RLS.