Sleep Topics

Nightmares in PTSD
by Meir H. Kryger, M.D.

The National Sleep Foundation’s 2013 Sleep in America poll will focus on Exercise and Sleep. We asked the experts on the poll task force to tell us more about important exercise and sleep topics and the research behind them.

Julie Flygare, JD

Sleep’s ChoiceEvery day, a

How Much Sleep Do Adults Need?

How is RLS treated? For many people with RLS, prevention is the first step towards managing symptoms. People may work with their health care professional to develop a variety of lifestyle changes and activities to reduce symptoms.

How do I know if I have RLS?

While there are no lab tests to diagnose RLS, your heath care professional may be able to make an official diagnosis given your responses to several simple questions about your symptoms. These include:

• Do you have an urge to move your legs, usually accompanied by uncomfortable leg sensations?

The symptoms of restless legs syndrome (RLS) are often difficult to put into words, as each person’s experience with RLS is different. Some people use comparisons, such as "like ants crawling through my legs" or "like soda running through my veins" to try to describe the symptoms and feelings to their heath care professionals.

Restless legs syndrome (RLS) is like a fingerprint; everyone's experience with it is unique. Some people call RLS the "frantic muscles" or "jitters." Some people may describe it as aching, tingling sensations deep within their legs, while others may say they feel like lightning is running through their veins.

RLS is a serious condition that has affected people for many years, but it has not always been taken seriously, and is often undiagnosed or misdiagnosed. Approximately 10 percent of American adults1 suffer from this neurological sensorimotor disorder, which causes uncomfortable and sometimes painful tingling, and tugging sensations in the legs.

Obstructive sleep apnea is a disorder in which breathing is briefly and repeatedly interrupted during sleep. The "apnea" in sleep apnea refers to a breathing pause that lasts at least ten seconds. Obstructive sleep apnea occurs when the muscles in the back of the throat fail to keep the airway open, despite efforts to breathe.