What causes night time leg cramps?
Night-time leg cramps, also known as nocturnal leg cramps, are a tightening of or spasm of the thigh or calf muscles. These cramps are fairly common and are sometimes referred to as “charley horses”. Night-time leg cramps tend to occur just as you have fallen asleep or when you are about to wake up. They can last anywhere from a few seconds to a few minutes and they usually go away by themselves. Experts are not completely sure of what causes night-time leg cramps but some things that may cause night-time legs cramps include: • Being dehydrated • Getting too much exercise or overuse of muscle with inadequate stretching • Not having enough potassium, calcium, phosphorus, and other minerals in your blood • Pregnancy • Poor circulation to legs – cramp should not occur during activities such as walking. If you develop cramps during activity such as walking, you should notify your healthcare provider. When a leg cramp occurs, you can try to: • Walk around or rub the area of the cramp • Stre
