ADVERTISING: Advertorial — Restless legs keeping you awake?
Holly Carling
Restless Leg Syndrome (RLS) used to be rare, but today it is becoming quite common. In fact, it affects between 5%-10% of adults and 2%-4% of children in the U.S. — that’s huge! Keep in mind that that is what is reported, not everyone! RLS can either just be an annoyance or can cause serious deficits in sleep and lifestyle.
RLS is characterized by an uncomfortable urge to move the legs, and is usually accompanied by feelings of twitchiness, tingling, itching, aching or feeling hot. Mostly, the person can’t help moving. It typically worsens at night but can also occur during periods of prolonged rest or inactivity.
As with all articles and podcasts I author, I look to the causative factors. An important cause is dopamine dysfunction. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter (chemical messenger) in the brain that is responsible for reward, movement, mood, motivation, and cognition function. It is often called the “feel-good” chemical because it is responsible for pleasure, focus and goal setting. It is believed that one cause of RLS is dopamine effectiveness. There could be dysfunction at a signaling level, receptor site level, conversion of one chemical to another, etc. This can be caused by several factors.
Become a Subscriber!
You have read all of your free articles this month. Select a plan below to start your subscription today.
Already a subscriber? Login
