Key points about restless legs syndrome
- tamariki with restless legs may feel discomfort in their legs when trying to fall asleep
- the cause is not known, but it can run in the whānau (family)
- your child may describe the feeling as ‘creepy’, ‘crawly’ or ‘pulling’
- there is no single test, but health professionals may do tests to rule out other sleep problems
- adjust bedtime so your child only goes to bed when ready to fall asleep
This page is about sleep in primary school tamariki.
What is restless legs syndrome?
Tamariki with restless legs may feel discomfort in their legs when trying to fall asleep. This usually happens at the start of the night. ‘Growing pains’ are more likely to happen during the night.
Tamariki with restless legs may:
- describe the feeling as ‘creepy’, ‘crawly’ or ‘pulling’
- move around in bed to try to relieve the feeling
- walk or pace at bedtime
- find it hard to sit still for long
- feel tired or cranky the next day due to poor sleep
There is no single test for restless legs syndrome. Your health professional may do tests to rule out other causes of sleep problems.
See the page on growing pains to learn more.
Causes of restless legs syndrome
The cause of restless legs is not known but it can run in the whānau. It can also happen in tamariki with low iron levels (anaemia). It is more common in tamariki with conditions such as diabetes and kidney disease.
Managing restless legs syndrome
Change the bedtime routine so your child only gets into bed when they are ready to sleep. Do all bedtime activities (such as stories) out of bed.
You can also try the following:
- avoid caffeine (found in tea, coffee, cola, chocolate and some medicines)
- try massage or hot and cold packs to ease discomfort
- treat low iron or folic acid levels — talk to your health professional about this
- encourage exercise earlier in the day, but avoid it close to bedtime
Acknowledgements
Starship Foundation and the Paediatric Society of New Zealand thank the Centre for Community Child Health at the Murdoch Childrens Research Institute and Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne, Australia, for making this content available to parents and families.
© Copyright – Centre for Community Child Health at the Murdoch Childrens Research Institute and Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia 2014. Except as permitted under the Copyright Act 1968 (Cth), no part of this content may be reproduced by a process, electronic or otherwise, without the specific written permission of the Murdoch Childrens Research Institute.
