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When to see a doctor
By Mayo Clinic staffFor most people, night leg cramps are merely an annoyance — something that jerks you awake on an infrequent basis. But in some cases, you may need to see a doctor.
Seek immediate medical care if you:
- Experience severe and persistent cramping
- Have night leg cramps after being exposed to a toxin, such as lead
Schedule an office visit if you:
- Have trouble functioning during the day because leg cramps interrupt your sleep
- Develop muscle weakness and atrophy along with leg cramps
Self-care
Activities that might help prevent night leg cramps include:
- Drinking plenty of fluids to avoid dehydration
- Wearing shoes that have proper support
- Stretching your leg muscles, or riding a stationary bicycle, for a few minutes before you go to bed
- Untucking the bed covers at the foot of your bed
Activities that might help relieve night leg cramps include:
- Flexing your foot up toward your head
- Massaging the cramped muscle with your hands or with ice
- Walking or jiggling the leg
- Taking a hot shower or warm bath
- Kanaan N, et al. Nocturnal leg cramps: Clinically mysterious and painful — but manageable. Geriatrics. 2001;56:34.
- Walters AS. Clinical identification of the simple sleep-related movement disorders. Chest. 2007;131:1260.
- Sheon RP. Nocturnal leg cramps, night starts and nocturnal myoclonus. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Dec. 8, 2008.
- Dehydration and fluid maintenance. Columbia, Md.: American Medical Directors Association. http://www.guideline.gov/summary/summary.aspx?ss=15&doc_id=3305&nbr=2531. Accessed Dec. 9, 2008.
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