Celestial Soothing: How the Sun Eases My Restless Legs

The sensation of creepiness crept up on me yesterday, resulting in a typical restless legs syndrome (RLS) night of pacing the floor whilst keeping my mind distracted from yet another night of lost sleep.

The day after the night before proceeded with a sense of foreboding as the tightness in my calves never seemed to dissipate. RLS was looming like a crow flying above.

Going out for a drive

The decision was made to have an afternoon out, potentially making it easier to keep my mind occupied so I could try to ignore the urge to wriggle and to stretch, especially whilst sitting in the car. Being cooped up in a metal box that has no room to move becomes the foremost thing in your thoughts. The urge to move becomes overwhelming.

You look across at the driver – concentrating hard to ensure you end up at your destination in one piece – whilst knowing that your every movement is being caught out the corner of their eye.

"Sit still!" your brain exclaims. That just makes the feeling worse. Your legs start screaming with the urge to shift position. Distraction is key! Counting Eddie Stobart trucks on the route helps focus the mind. -50 points if the truck you call is NOT an Eddie Stobart.

Relaxing beneath the warmth of the sun

It's strange how when it's warmer and the sun beats through the windscreen, the need to move is sometimes reduced. Do you find that?

I think that the heat makes your body generally relax, therefore making the urge to move less. Then I realised it's the extra heat that diverts my attention away, albeit for a fraction at a time.

Flashback to a picture perfect beach day

One of my most treasured memories is when my children were small. Running around after 3 kids – all under 5 years old – leaves you exhausted. Add working part-time on top of that and you just survive on autopilot. My RLS raised its ugly head rarely then.

One of the best sleeps I ever had was one weekend when the whole family and friends visited a beach. It was a gorgeous summer day, hot sun beating down. I was wearing a bikini, laying down the towels for the children to sit on. The sun felt like it was easing my bones. I laid on my beach towel and promptly fell asleep.

Like heat therapy for my restless legs syndrome

Upon waking, I sat up, wondering where I was and how did I sleep when the creeping feeling surely must be upon me by now. Then I realised there was no creepy feeling! The sun had warmed me, enveloped me, heating me like a microwave, right to my core.

My RLS was a distant memory for the next few days. Heat therapy worked for me! Now I just need a plan to move to the Bahamas.

Enjoying a sunny day in the United Kingdom

Our trip out today is for a visit to the beach. The lapping of the sea and the methodical crashing of the waves speak to my soul. Surprising, as I cannot swim and am petrified of the ocean!

The joy and relieving warmth from the sun on an actual sunny day in the United Kingdom (we get 3 or 4 a year!) is blissful. Even just sitting on the pebbles with the sea air wafting around makes you tired in a very unique way. RLS be damned, the satisfying sleep in the car when we are homeward bound makes up for the horrendous night before.