Millions plagued by ‘agonising’ condition that destroys sleep could be ‘cured’ with simple natural remedy
EVER heard of restless leg syndrome?
Also known as Willis-Ekbom disease, it's a condition affecting the nervous system that causes a creeping, crawling sensation in your legs and the overwhelming urge to fidget them - especially at night.
Seemingly benign when described, restless leg syndrome (RLS) can cause misery and sleepless nights to those who have it.
Writing into an , one user described getting flare-ups every time they tried to get some rest or sit still.
"I’m sleeping about three hours a night," they wrote. "My partner and I are sleeping separately now until I get it under control."
Another user who gets crawling sensations up their arms said: "It feels like my arm is exploding from the inside out when I fight it but if I let it win, it just gets worse."
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Meanwhile, writer and podcaster Beth McColl : "‘Restless leg syndrome’ is such a silly goofy name for something that literally feels like your bones are straining to burst free of your flesh."
In some cases, RLS is caused underlying health conditions like iron deficiency anaemia or kidney failure and it's also been linked to pregnancy.
While iron supplements could be enough to treat some sufferers, other needs meds to regulate the levels of dopamine in their body and other have to turn to benzodiazepines.
But a simple natural remedy might be the 'cure' for these agonising symptoms, one doctor claims.
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, Dr George Lundberg said cutting out sugar from your diet might rid you of the RLS wriggles.
A self professed "anti-sugar guy", he recounted how he indulged in a variety of sweet treats shortly after Halloween - only to suffer from agonising consequences that night.
The doctor first chowed down on a mini Dove bar containing 11 grams of sugar, followed by Snickers, Milky Ways, Twix mini bars, the remnants of trick-or-treating and each with at least 20 grams of sugar.
"I ate several of these not long before bedtime. Lo and behold, in the dark of that night, and continuing off and on for a few fitful hours, I had bad RLS," Dr Lundberg said.
"Shifting, tossing, turning, compulsively seeking a new sleeping position only to have to soon move again.
"Plus, I had repetitive leg cramps and that creepy-crawly skin sensation. An altogether unpleasant experience."
Dr Lundberg refrained from more late-night sugar binges following that incident and thankfully escaped subsequent RLS attacks.
"I'm pretty convinced from my unintentional challenge and single dechallenge that my unusually high sugar intake resulted in RLS," he wrote.
Though Dr Lundberg unintentionally discovered that sugar may exacerbate RLS symptoms, the link between the two was studied by Dutch doctor Siwert de Groot in 2023.
Documented in the , Dr de Groot said he was visited by a healthy 60-year-old man whose RLS symptoms had recently increased.
He had normal blood sugar and iron levels, was not a smoker or a drinker, and did not take other drugs.
"He has the impression that this is because he has consumed a lot of sweet foods such as ice cream, chocolate, soft drinks and pastries during his summer vacation," the doctor wrote.
He asked his patient to alternate eating a high and low-sugar diet, a week at a time for six weeks, finding that the man's complaints were increased considerably when he gorged on sweet treats and decreased when he avoided them.
Dr de Groot said: "Following a low-sugar diet requires discipline, but if it significantly reduces or completely eliminates the symptoms of RLS, it is a preferred measure and can be used on a trial basis before prescribing medication."
How common is RLS?
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) says that 5 to 10 per cent of Brits and Americans suffer from restless leg syndrome.
Meanwhile, NHS Inform says ";as many as one in 10 people are affected by restless legs syndrome at some point in their life" with women twice as likely to develop it than men.
The main symptom is an overwhelming urge to move your legs, as well as an unpleasant crawling or creeping sensation in your calves and thighs.
The urge can grow more intense in the evenings and at nighttime, making sleep an impossibility
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The NHS recommends following a regular bedtime ritual to control symptoms, as well as avoiding alcohol and caffeine late at night.
It also suggested you quit smoking and exercise regularly during the daytime.