Periodic Limb Movements In Sleep
Author: Jeff Foster

PLMS or Periodic Limb Movements in Sleep is a symptom commonly
associated with a different sleep disorder known as Restless Leg
Syndrome (RLS).

While it has been getting a lot of attention in the press
lately, RLS is a total separate health condition from PLMS.
Also, it is important to remember that PLMS is a separate
condition and you can be diagnosed with PLMS without ever being
diagnosed with RLS. Both of these are considered to be sleep
disorders.

While PLMS doesn't necessarily cause or even exacerbate any
other health conditions, it can certainly cause you to have a
miserable night as you try to sleep. Of course, as we all know,
interrupted sleep can cause a cacophony of health issues and
must be dealt with sooner rather than later. Not to mention that
with all the nighttime moving associated with PLMS can drive
your bed partner completely nuts!

You don't have to be a medical professional to determine the
obvious symptoms of PLMS. Just like the names says, with this
sleep disorder, you will often repeatedly and for varying
periods of time will move your legs.

These movements occur while you are sleeping and look like
sudden twitching or jerking movements. In some people the
movements last for just a few minutes while others jerk and
twitch for several hours in the night. Another unique thing to
remember is that as soon as one movement stops, it usually takes
less than 60 seconds for another movement to start.

With Restless Leg Syndrome (RLS), you may experience a feeling
of awkwardness, tingling, crawling or even a feeling of
prickliness in your legs and sometimes in your arms.

The challenge with this condition is that sometimes you don't
even realize you a experiencing the movement since it occurs
while you are asleep. Your bed partner may be the one to you
what is going on, what your body is doing during the night.

Currently there is no definitive answer as to the primary cause
of PLMS. Some researchers believe that it has something to do
with your central nervous system functions but this is not
clearly evident. Some healthcare professionals also find that
PLMS may be a secondary manifestation of another more serious
health condition such as anemia, sleep apnea, diabetes or even
narcolepsy.

If you have been battling insomnia and have had no luck for
determining the cause of your constant fatigue, then your
healthcare provider might being to suspect PLMS. Often in order
to definitively diagnose PLMS, your physician may ask that you
undergo a sleep study so that your precise sleep patterns and
behaviors can be observed.

Healthcare providers often have difficulty prescribing an
adequate treatment for PLMS because there is currently no known
root cause for the disorder.

Regardless, if you find yourself chronically fatigued and
facing night after night of insomnia that has no other answer,
then you should make an appointment to meet with your physician
in order to determine if you have PLMS or even RLS. Both sleep
disorders deserve your attention.

Wouldn't you love to enjoy a full night's sleep and waking up
the next working so well rested that you don't even recognize
yourself?

Talk with your physician in order to get the proper diagnosis
and appropriate treatment.


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